Outcasts
by miss-buttercup
Summary: Lupin wants what he can't have. A love story with a little bit of everything - a little humor, a little angst, a little mmmmm. Rated R for a reason. Please Review!
1. Default Chapter

All the usual disclaimers apply. Ms. Rowling owns everything. I don't own anything except a twisted mind. This is my first fanfic, please be gentle.  
  
A puffy-eyed and sniffly Molly Weasley stood with her husband and Remus Lupin at Platform 9 ¾ and waved goodbye to her two youngest children and the boy whom she had come to regard as a 7th son. Molly always felt rather conflicted about seeing the children off to Hogwarts. Arthur and Remus believed that Hogwarts was the safest place for them during these dangerous times; but Molly could not help but remember that her children seemed to have near death experiences every year at the school.  
  
"Are there Aurors on the train?" Molly asked the men, "I don't trust that Malfoy boy not to try something. Like father like son I always say."  
  
Arthur Weasley put a comforting arm around his wife's shoulder. "Yes Molly, there are plenty of Aurors on the train and members of the Order are watching over it as well." Arthur reassured his wife.  
  
"Don't worry Molly." Remus added, "I don't think Malfoy or his drooling mates pose much of a danger to the kids. I dare say Harry and Ron will have a sporting good time making them look foolish."  
  
"I can't believe Albus let those boys back into Hogwarts at all after what their fathers did in the Department of Mysteries." Molly complained, "It's just not right."  
  
"Come on there Molly, there's no evidence that the boys were involved in their fathers' crimes. I'm sure Dumbledore will be keeping very close tabs on them." Arthur replied.  
  
"I know you're right Arthur, but I don't like it just the same." Molly took a deep breath and stood up straighter which was her way of indicating that it was time to move on. "Well, I suppose we should be heading back to the Burrow. Care to join us for a cuppa Remus?"  
  
"I'd like that" Remus answered and with that they Apperated to the Burrow.  
  
~~~  
  
The Burrow was entirely too quiet for Molly with the children gone. She busied herself in the kitchen preparing the tea and biscuits while Arthur and Remus discussed Order business at the table. The quiet was broken in grand fashion by a cheerful voice calling in from the front door.  
  
"Put on your clothes and put away those wands. Your Muggle neighbor is here bearing gifts!"  
  
"Rosemary!" Molly called to her unexpected guest as she crossed the parlor to answer the door, wiping her hands on her apron along the way. "Come in dear! I'm just putting out tea and biscuits. Join us!"  
  
"I'm surprised. I expected that you and Arthur would be snogging like teenagers now that you have the house to yourselves." Rosemary teased Molly as she followed her into the kitchen.  
  
"How do you know we weren't?" Molly joined in the risqué repartee.  
  
Rosemary pulled on Molly's apron string. "What do you call this? Lingerie?"  
  
Arthur and Remus were taking in the conversation. Arthur was laughing and rising to greet his neighbor. Remus was amused, intrigued and confused by what he heard. A Muggle at the Burrow? Surely not. There were so many concealment spells on magical homes that Muggles would never be able to find them. Always the gentleman, he rose from his seat when the smiling, chestnut haired woman walked into the kitchen. She was carrying an enormous basket full of all sorts of vegetables and an assortment of cut flowers.  
  
"Hello Rosemary!" Arthur smiled and kissed her on the cheek. "Let me help you with that." he said as he relieved her of her burden. "Are these all from your garden?"  
  
"They sure are. I don't know what Ron and Harry did when they worked for me this summer, but whatever it was they ought to bottle it. I've got more veggies than I could eat in a lifetime."  
  
"Well thank you dear. Ron was so happy to earn his first Galleons. Sit down." Molly invited her neighbor to join them at the table. "Gracious, where are my manners? Rosemary, this is our good friend Remus Lupin. Remus, this is our neighbor Rosemary O'Brien."  
  
"Pleased to meet you Miss O'Brien" Remus said as he shook her hand.  
  
"It's Mrs. O'Brien actually, but please, call me Rosemary." She replied pleasantly.  
  
Remus was a man who was used to disappointment and took the news of her marital status in stride. He dropped intrigued from his present emotional menu and thought it safest to stay with amused and confused.  
  
"Did I hear you say that you're a Muggle?" Remus asked.  
  
"Yes, you did. Not even the slightest bit of magic in me. I take it that you're a wizard?" She inquired of her new acquaintance.  
  
Remus now dropped amused from his list of feelings and was entirely consumed with confused. "If you don't mind me asking.", Remus fumbled with his question not wanting to sound rude, " .I'm a bit confused..I mean with you're being a Muggle and everything."  
  
"How did I find the Burrow?" she completed his question much to his relief.  
  
"It's the most amazing thing actually", Arthur took it upon himself to answer the question with the boundless enthusiasm he always displayed when discussing all things Muggle. "Our Rosemary here is completely unaffected by magic. Hexes and charms just bounce right off of her. The twins offered her some of their Puking Pastilles and she ate them just like they were chocolate frogs. Not even so much as a burp. It's quite amazing. I've never seen anything like it."  
  
"You can't be magic-ed at all?" Remus asked scarcely believing what he was hearing.  
  
"Nope. Not even a little bit. Go ahead, give it a try. I know you're dying to." Rosemary gave Remus a mischievous look daring him to do his worst.  
  
"Oh.um..I don't know if that would be appropriate" Remus stuttered. It's not everyday that a beautiful woman dares you to hex her.  
  
Before Rosemary could double dare Remus to give it a go both Weasleys had their wands out and were laughing as they threw every silly hex they could think of at her. Watching them, it became clear to Remus where Fred and George got it all from. If Remus heard all of the hexes correctly Rosemary should have been floating around the room in a full body lock, covered with boils and laughing hysterically from tickling. Instead she sat across the table from him calmly sipping her tea and giving him a So? Whatcha think? look. Remus' curiosity finally got the better of him and he tentatively threw a sneezing hex at her. She didn't even scratch her nose. He shook his wand and tried one more time with feeling. Nothing.  
  
"Do you see what I mean Mr. Lupin?" Rosemary offered, seeing that he had finally gotten the message. "I am completely immune to magic."  
  
"Silencing charms? Concealment charms? Potions? Are you telling me that nothing affects you?"  
  
"Nothing yet and I do believe that Fred and George tried to hit me with everything except the Unforgivables this summer. Potions are a different story. They don't have a magical affect on me but I can be poisoned by the ingredients like any other human being. Too much mandrake will kill anyone."  
  
Remus' head was swimming. How did she know about Unforgivable curses? What would a Muggle know about mandrake? He could not believe that the woman sitting in front of him was casually discussing the most amazing thing he had ever seen in his life as if she were discussing Molly's recipe for chocolate biscuits. This beautiful woman defied every magical law known to wizarding kind. The professor in him started looking for reasonable explanations for the absolutely impossible events that he was witnessing. With a sigh of relief his eyes rested on an item, which he was sure, would explain everything and set his world spinning properly again.  
  
"What is that amulet you are wearing around your neck?" he asked suspiciously, "Is it charmed to protect you from magic?"  
  
"Oh, this?" Rosemary asked lifting a pendant consisting of two gold rings and a rather largish diamond. "There's nothing magical about this. These are Kevin and my wedding bands and my engagement diamond. I had them set into a pendant after he passed."  
  
"I'm so sorry." Remus said quietly, flushed with embarrassment. "I wish I were invisible right about now."  
  
Rosemary reached over and patted Remus' hand. "Please, don't give it a second thought. It's been a while now. I'm OK. Besides, Ron and Harry have already tried invisible on me and it didn't work. To me they just looked like two giggling gits sitting under an enormous black and silver scarf."  
  
"Filch would love to have you working at the castle." Remus joked. "I can't believe Harry knew about this and didn't tell me! Wait till I see him again."  
  
"Walk with me Remus. There is something I want to show you" Arthur rose from the table. "Will you excuse us for a moment ladies?"  
  
Once outside the house Arthur became very serious. "Remus, we told the children not to discuss Rosemary and her, um, difference with anyone."  
  
"Arthur, what's going on?" Remus' voice was laden with concern.  
  
"Nothing is exactly wrong. It's just that I'm not sure how the Ministry would react to the prospect of a Muggle who cannot be affected by magic. I fear that there are members of the Ministry who would be threatened by this and wonder how many other Muggles are like her. It could put the Muggle Protection Act in jeopardy. Her life might actually be in danger."  
  
"Besides," Arthur continued lowering his voice even further and becoming more serious, "I think she could be useful to the Order." 


	2. Getting to Know You

Chapter 2- Getting to Know You  
  
"I don't know about that Arthur." Remus considered what Arthur had said. He agreed with his first statement. Seeing Rosemary shrug off hexes was disconcerting for *him*; it would probably make Cornelius Fudge pop a blood vessel. Remus was not sure he agreed with Arthur's second idea.  
  
"I don't know that involving her with the Order is the right thing to do. She's still a Muggle. How would she defend herself?"  
  
"That's just the point Remus, she doesn't need to. What hex could they possibly use against her? You saw her in there; *nothing* affects her." Arthur tugged at his collar nervously, "I'm not saying that we should send her into combat but she can see through concealment charms that we can't. She can hear things through silencing charms. I'm just saying that maybe she could keep her eyes and ears open and tell us what she sees. That's all."  
  
Remus shook his head, still not convinced. "I think we need to know a lot more about her 'difference' as you say, before we put her at risk. Have you asked her about any of this yet?"  
  
"No, not yet. I wanted to talk to Dumbledore first."  
  
"When do you plan to do that?" Remus asked.  
  
"I don't know. I've been tossing this problem around in my head all summer. I suppose Albus ought to know soon." Arthur cast a furtive glance towards the house, "We should get back."  
  
``````  
  
"So, have you two worked out all of the problems of wizarding kind?" Molly teased as Arthur and Remus returned from their 'walk'.  
  
"Almost dear" Arthur retorted, "Just a few minor details left to work out."  
  
Arthur and Remus sat down at the table. Remus was still thinking about what Arthur had said. He sat back in his chair and looked at the Muggle sitting across from him, sizing her up. He wanted to know more.  
  
"Rosemary, how long have you had your abilities?" Remus asked.  
  
"As long as I can remember." she responded  
  
Remus continued his hopefully subtle interrogation. "It must have been interesting being privy to things that other Muggles weren't"  
  
" I suppose interesting is one word you could use to describe the experience. Agonizing and awful also describe the situation accurately."  
  
For the second time in less than an hour Remus had planted his foot firmly into his mouth. He wondered if it was possible to literally die of embarrassment. "Again, I'm sorry. I seem to have a knack for bringing up bad memories today."  
  
"Remus, please." she raised her hand signaling him to stop talking, "It was a reasonable question. Let me explain. I didn't know that I was different as a child. I thought everyone could see and hear the things that I could. I was wrong. At first my parents fluffed it off as an overactive imagination. As I got older I would point out homes and animals to them that they couldn't see. When I refused to play in the yard anymore because I was afraid of the garden gnomes my parents took me to a psychiatrist. They diagnosed me with childhood schizophrenia when I was seven years old. I was put on medications which were supposed to take my 'hallucinations' away but since they weren't hallucinations at all, the medication didn't work but it did make me very sick."  
  
Molly put a supportive arm around Rosemary. She wondered out loud how Muggles could be so ignorant.  
  
"Because we go to great pains at the Ministry to see to it that they are kept ignorant Molly." Arthur hung his head as if he, in some small way, was responsible for Rosemary's pain.  
  
Remus listened with his eyes closed and his hands steepled in front of his face. While the causes of their childhood pain were very different, much of her story was striking a very familiar cord with him.  
  
"Then the stays in hospital started with all of their barbaric treatments. I finally managed to free myself from the system by pretending that I couldn't see magical things anymore. It took a long time for me to learn what was magical and what was Muggle but I managed. Once I started pretending things got easier for me except that getting work was difficult. When employers would see that much of my education came from the finest mental treatment facilities in Britain they would pass in hiring me. It was as if I had NUTTER, DO NOT HIRE tattooed across my forehead.  
  
"Oh Gods!" Remus groaned  
  
Rosemary was surprised at the depth of his reaction. "Remus, it's OK.I don't understand.. what's wrong?" She looked to Arthur and Molly for clarification. It didn't bother her anymore. She was at a loss to know why it bothered him so much.  
  
With that Remus rolled up his sleeve and showed her the number that was tattooed on his arm. Arthur was clearly distraught and Molly was biting her bottom lip and misting over.  
  
"What is that Remus?" Rosemary asked treading very carefully.  
  
"It's MY tattoo that says 'Nutter, do not hire'".  
  
He wasn't angry with her at all but she had unintentionally struck a very deep nerve.  
  
An awkward silence hung over the kitchen. Rosemary was sorry that the mood had become so distressed. She felt that she was responsible. Somebody *had* to say something.  
  
"Do you want to talk about it?" Rosemary asked Remus  
  
Remus looked up at her and considered her question. Did he want to talk about it? His Lycanthropy was not something that he usually discussed with people he just met. Still, he had shown her his tattoo. 'What was up with that?' He wondered. He didn't even show that tattoo to his closest friends and and now here he was rolling up his sleeve for a stranger. 'Oh well, no one made me do it', he thought and finally spoke, "I suppose I should explain."  
  
"Do you know what a werewolf is?" he asked her.  
  
"Only what I have seen on Muggle movies" she replied.  
  
"Then you don't know."  
  
"Educate me." she said.  
  
"It's really quite simple," Remus sighed, "during the nights of the full moon I turn into a wolf."  
  
"An evil monster wolf or just a plain wolf?" Rosemary asked trying not to sound too stupid.  
  
"Well, I don't know, just a plain wolf I suppose." Remus had clearly never considered that comparison. "All wolves are dangerous but I'm more dangerous because if I bite someone and they live they could become like me."  
  
"And being like you is bad because...?"  
  
"Because I turn into a wolf every month!" he was becoming impatient with her lack of understanding.  
  
"Rosemary," Arthur quietly interrupted, "The Ministry does terrible things to werewolves. The social prejudices against them are substantial."  
  
"It sounds to me like the problem here isn't with werewolves, it's with the Ministry." Rosemary observed. "I mean how bloody awful can you be if they have to brand you to make sure that they don't mistake you for a good man."  
  
"Here, Here" said Arthur  
  
"Quite right" added Molly  
  
"I guess you wouldn't be too worried about me biting you. Nothing would happen, right?" Remus asked, partly to lighten the mood and partly because he really wanted to know.  
  
"Oh, something would definitely happen if you bit me" Rosemary answered giving Remus her most charming smile, "I'd kick your canine arse from here to kingdom come."  
  
Molly play acted at being scandalized and Arthur rolled his eyes. Remus laughed out loud. He liked this woman's style. He debated with himself for a moment and then decided to take a chance.  
  
"Rosemary, do you have any plans for today?"  
  
"Nothing pressing. Why do you ask?" she answered.  
  
"Well, I was just .um.wondering if...maybe ..if .um"  
  
'Good Gods man, pull yourself together' Remus thought to himself. 'You're a thirty-eight year old man, not a fifth year student.' 'OK, lets try this again'  
  
"I was wondering if you would like to go to Hogsmeade with me today?"  
  
"I don't know." "Molly, do I want to go to a town I never heard of with a man I just met?"  
  
"I really don't see how you can dear." Molly answered  
  
Remus looked at Molly as if she had grown a second head. "Molly" he said through his teeth and a very forced smile "what are you talking about?"  
  
"How did you plan to get her to Scotland Remus?" Molly answered with an unspoken 'you idiot' at the end.  
  
"I figured we'd Apperate"  
  
"I can't Apperate " Rosemary stated.  
  
"I know YOU can't Apperate, but I can Apperate the both of us." Remus said with increasing dread. This was not going smoothly at all.  
  
"No, Remus, you don't understand. I REALLY can't Apperate. I can't floo or use a portkey either. I'm a human magic repellant, remember?"  
  
That made sense. Remus was greatly relieved that it wasn't him that was being rejected, just his mode of transportation. Remus took a deep breath and thought for a moment about how he could salvage the situation. He broke into a satisfied grin and asked his new friend.  
  
"Have you ever been to Diagon Alley?" 


	3. Two Butterbeers with an Order of Deathea...

Chapter 3 - Two Butterbeers with an order of Deatheaters on the Side  
  
"Remus PLEASE be careful." Arthur implored, "And Rosemary, don't do anything that will bring attention to your, um, condition. Stay next to Remus at all times. If you get separated --"  
  
"--Alright Dad, we get it!" amused and exasperated, Remus interrupted Arthur's lecture. "I'll have her home before curfew, I promise."  
  
"Don't worry Arthur, we'll be fine." Rosemary reassured her neighbor.  
  
Molly Weasley took her husband by the arm and started pulling him back towards the Burrow. "For Merlin's sake Arthur, just let them go and have a good time." she chided. "Have fun!" she called out as the car pulled away.  
  
Rosemary shifted gears and headed towards the main road. "So, where to?" she asked her companion.  
  
"Head towards London and I'll tell you where to go when we get there."  
  
Two hours later they pulled into a car park in a depressed area of the city. Rosemary got out of the car and slammed the door.  
  
"Wizard.Muggle.It doesn't matter. You're all exactly alike!" Rosemary complained with more than a hint of genuine aggravation. "What is it about men that you would all rather die than ask for directions?"  
  
"It's not my fault!" Remus argued, "I usually only see the roads from the air. They're different when you're on the ground. And what would you have me say? 'Excuse me Mr. Muggle, would you kindly direct us to the local wizard tappy?' I got us here didn't I?"  
  
"Finally!" Rosemary huffed. Then she stopped and put her hand over her mouth in mock horror. "Oh my God, I sound just like my mother and that is SO wrong. I think this conversation needs to stop right now." Remus smiled and nodded his head in agreement.  
  
"Welcome to the Leaky Cauldron, " Remus said as he opened the door to a nondescript tavern. "Gateway to Diagon Alley."  
  
Rosemary surveyed the dismal little pub.  
  
"Lovely." she commented sarcastically. Two men sitting at a table in the back caught her attention.  
  
"Can we sit down and talk for a moment" she asked Remus.  
  
'Oh great, she thinks I ran her all over London for the last hour to take her to a dirty little pub. Good move Moony' he thought to himself.  
  
"Sure." Remus gulped pulling out a chair for her at a nearby table. "What's wrong?" he asked as he sat down next to her sensing her discomfort. He braced himself for the 'Remus, you're a really nice guy but..' speech that he always seemed to hear from women.  
  
"Don't worry" he explained before she had a chance to answer his question, "This isn't where I'm taking you today. This is just how you get there. Diagon Alley is much nicer than this."  
  
"No, no, that's not what I'm talking about." Rosemary said waving off his concerns anxiously, "When I tell you, don't turn around. Just smile like you're actually on a date and having a good time."  
  
"You see something, don't you?" Remus was relieved that he wasn't being given orders to Apperate home immediately.  
  
"Do you hear two men talking about you? They're seated in the corner behind us and to the left."  
  
"No, and I have excellent hearing." Remus said, "They must have put a silencing charm and a 'do not notice' charm on their table. What are they saying?"  
  
"Let's see, 'Look, it's the werewolf'. 'who's that with him'. 'should we take him'. 'he's not the target'. 'he's more valuable to us than the target.'" Rosemary repeated what she heard the men saying.  
  
'Fantastic. Bloody fantastic. Deatheaters' Remus thought to himself, 'This afternoon just keeps going from bad to worse'  
  
"There's more," Rosemary said and began to relate more information. " 'its too crowded here'.' we'll take him at the entrance to the alley'", Rosemary's eyes went wide with fear as she told Remus what they said next, " 'take the wolf alive and kill the woman'."  
  
"Smile. Laugh. We can't hear them, remember?" Remus reminded Rosemary. He stared down at the table with a thoughtful, far away look. In a few short moments he had a workable plan for getting out of the situation.  
  
Rosemary forced a smile and leaned into Remus whispering into his ear, "They're not talking anymore. They're listening to us. Wait.wait a minute. One of them just said that we're repulsive."  
  
Remus responded with his first genuine laugh since they had arrived.  
  
The bar maid arrived at their table and asked "What'll it be mates?"  
  
Remus answered her, "Two butterbeers and the use of an owl please."  
  
"The owl will run you an extra fifteen knuts. Local messages only." the bar maid replied.  
  
"That will be fine, thank you." Remus answered the bar maid. He turned to Rosemary and said in a voice that was just loud enough that he was sure that the strangers in the corner heard him, "I'm going to owl the Weasleys and see if they want to join us later for dinner."  
  
An owl arrived at the table with a small piece of parchment and a quill, followed in short order by the butterbeers. Remus wrote a message, tied it to the owl's foot and sent it on it's way.  
  
"What do we do now?" Rosemary said quietly, trying very hard to look as nothing at all out of the ordinary was happening.  
  
"Now we enjoy our drinks and we wait" Remus answered. They sat in awkward silence, broken occasionally by trivial small talk. Remus found himself reflecting on Arthur Weasley's position that Rosemary would be valuable to the Order. He had to admit that if everything went according to his plan she would be an instrumental part of putting two death eaters in Azkaban.  
  
About ten uncomfortable minutes latter the owl returned and dropped a reply onto the table. The message was one word --READY.  
  
Taking a long, last sip from his butterbeer, Remus stood up and told Rosemary that it was time to go. He threw a few coins on the table and escorted her to the back door of the pub. Remus felt her trembling with fear.  
  
"Don't worry. We're going to be fine. Trust me."  
  
"They're following us ."  
  
"Good." Remus replied with confidence. He was a man with a plan. When they reached the back door he whispered "Close your eyes." He couldn't chance her seeing what was waiting for the Deatheaters in the alley and possibly giving up the surprise.  
  
Rosemary complied and took Remus' arm for guidance. They exited the pub and walked into a small enclosure. Rosemary prayed silently that Remus knew what he was doing.  
  
"Hello Werewolf." a greasy voice drawled behind them.  
  
"Petrificus Totalus!" Rosemary heard the curse and opened her eyes to see a small, blue haired woman and a very large, bald black man pointing their wands at the two assailants who promptly went stiff as boards. The unlikely pair secured their prisoners after raising their sleeves to confirm the dark mark. Then they turned their attention to Remus and Rosemary.  
  
"Oi there Remus!" said the woman cheerfully. "Who's your friend?"  
  
"Kingsley, Tonks, this is Rosemary O'Brien. Rosemary, this is Nymphadora Tonks and Kingsley Shaklebolt. They're Aurors."  
  
"It's Tonks, just Tonks" the woman said as she reached out to shake Rosemary's hand.  
  
"Pleased to meet you both." Rosemary said, "Believe me, VERY pleased to meet you both." The relief Rosemary felt bordered on exhilaration.  
  
"Good show!" Kingsley clapped Remus hard on the back and asked in his deep profundo bass voice, "How'd you find them and lure them here?"  
  
"Not in front of the kids." Remus replied, nodding back at the Deatheaters who were stacked like cord wood against the wall of the pub. "I'll talk to you about it later. Right now I have other plans."  
  
"I still have other plans, right?" he asked Rosemary. Considering how the date has gone thus far he felt that it was a bit presumptuous on his part to assume it was going to continue.  
  
"Of course." Rosemary smiled, " I've yet to see this Diagon Alley that I've heard so much about" She was beginning to find his unassuming manner attractive.  
  
Remus heaved a sigh of relief. "Ok, just checking. I thought you might have had enough of me after I got you lost and then almost got you killed. Some women might find that a little off putting."  
  
"You said we'd be fine and we are. It's rather like being on a date with James Bond."  
  
"Is that a good thing?" Remus asked hopefully. He had no idea who James Bond was.  
  
" Yes Remus. That's a very good thing."  
  
Kingsley regarded the couple with a raised eyebrow as Remus took Rosemary by the hand and began tapping out a pattern on the brick wall with his wand. Rosemary watched in delight as the bricks shifted to reveal the entrance to Diagon Alley. 


	4. Everything Old is New Again

Chapter 4: Everything Old is New Again.  
  
"That was amazing Ro!" Remus beamed as he and Rosemary walked along Diagon Alley. "You've only been in the wizarding world for twenty minutes and you've already bagged two Deatheaters! That's got to be some kind of record."  
  
"I didn't do anything." Rosemary was blushing, "I only told you what they said. You did everything."  
  
"Rosemary, if you hadn't heard them, their original target would be dead right now. I don't know if I could have taken out both of them if they had caught me by surprise. You did a good job."  
  
Remus smiled warmly at Rosemary. "Enough about Dark Wizards. Let's have some fun. I know you're going to love this place."  
  
For Remus, seeing Diagon Alley with Rosemary was like seeing it for the first time all over again. They browsed in the shops and compared notes about what they saw after they left. It was their own private game. Almost every shop owner had something to hide. Secret stashes of illegal items and hidden rooms were common. There was even a completely hidden store that sold charmed Muggle items. Apparently quite a few magical folk harbored a secret fascination with Muggle television. To hell with working for the Order; Remus was surprised that Arthur didn't want her working for the Ministry. She'd be a natural at sniffing out Dark Arts paraphernalia.  
  
The whole world was wide open to her and that fascinated him.  
  
The discovery that stunned him the most was at Flourish & Blotts bookstore. Rosemary was wandering about the store while Remus was buried in the DADA section.  
  
He saw her looking at him from across the room like the cat that just ate the proverbial canary.  
  
"What?" he mouthed to her. She must have found something interesting.  
  
Rosemary sidled up to him and whispered in his ear, "How many rooms do you see in this store?"  
  
The feeling of her hand on his shoulder and her lips so close to his ear was stirring him. "Two. Why? How many are there?" he inquired.  
  
"Three! And you're not going to believe what's in the third one!"  
  
"Well come on. Don't leave me hanging." Remus' curiosity was peaked.  
  
"Not here, I need to tell you somewhere where you won't make a spectacle of yourself laughing."  
  
Remus shelved the book he was reading and practically dragged her out of the book store. He pulled her into a space between two stores and looked at her expectantly.  
  
"Well?!"  
  
Rosemary cleared her throat and took a moment to select her words. "It would seem Remus, that your friendly neighborhood bookstore has a rather large adult entertainment section." she was trying to suppress a grin and was failing spectacularly.  
  
Remus' eyes went wide with amazement. "No! You have GOT to be joking! Are you sure?"  
  
"Hello!," Rosemary knocked on his forehead playfully, "Wizard pictures move, remember. I got quite an eyeful. It would seem that you wizards have a charm for everything." Her voice took on a suggestive tone, "It was astonishing to see what some of those wizards could do with their wands."  
  
Remus' mouth fell open. He was utterly captivated with the woman standing before him.  
  
"You are *scandalous*!." he said with unconcealed glee.  
  
She answered him with a coy look and a shrug.  
  
"I wonder how they keep something like that a secret?" he mused.  
  
"Rem, I don't think its much of a secret. There were plenty of customers in there." Rosemary informed him.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"No, I'm lying to you , you big goof." Rosemary kidded Remus who was sulking like the only kid who wasn't invited to the party. "Of course really!"  
  
"I wonder how they kept it a secret from *me*?"  
  
"Maybe you have to be some kind of pervert to see through the charms." Rosemary offered as a possible explanation.  
  
"What does that say about you?" Remus chuckled as he jokingly tapped her nose with his finger.  
  
Rosemary looked him straight in the eye and teased, "I'm not a pervert, *I'm* unique. Arthur told me so."  
  
It could have been the topic of their conversation or it could have been the close proximity of their bodies in the small space in which they were talking. No matter what the cause, Remus was a man with a rapidly growing problem. If they stayed where they were for much longer he was unquestionably going to kiss her. If he kissed her he was not sure he was ever going to be able to stop. Leaving the area presented a somewhat different problem. He wasn't wearing his wizarding robes and his thin jeans did little to disguise his attraction to his enticing companion.  
  
Solving the Deatheater problem was a snap compared to this.  
  
Remus closed his eyes and inhaled deeply trying to center himself. He thought about Professor Binns' lectures on the Goblin Wars. That always worked in the past.  
  
'Ok, I think I might just get out of this with my dignity intact' he thought to himself.  
  
He inhaled again and, like incense from an altar, he caught the scent of a woman who was equally aroused.  
  
"I'm dead where I stand"  
  
'Oh Gods, did I just say that out loud?'  
  
"Remus?"  
  
"Yes?" He managed to answer  
  
"You're breathing funny and saying you're dead. What's going on?"  
  
"Well.you see Rosemary..its like this."  
  
And with that he placed one hand on her lower back and ran the other hand through her hair. He pulled her close and slowly lowered his lips to hers.  
  
'Oh Gods, this is really happening!' Remus thought to himself.  
  
His enhanced senses drank in every detail. Her scent was an down-to-earth combination of plain soap and female pheromones. Remus found its simplicity intoxicating. He could make out every shade of blue in her eyes and could see each individual eyelash as they brushed against her cheeks when her eyes closed in anticipation of their first kiss.  
  
Her lips felt full and soft beneath his. She moaned softly as he gently nibbled on her lower lip. He parted her lips with his tongue and eagerly explored her mouth.  
  
Kissing her felt like coming home.  
  
Aware that they were in a semi-public place, Remus pulled back from the kiss through sheer force of will. He lifted her chin and looked into her eyes.  
  
"You are so beautiful"  
  
"Oh.Wow" Rosemary sighed deeply. For the first time since he met her she seemed to be at a loss for words. "That was.um....wow."  
  
Remus smiled broadly. It was a heady feeling to know that he, Remus Lupin, werewolf, had this kind of effect on her. Everything about this woman made him feel good.  
  
"I think we had better find something else to do before we make a spectacle of ourselves." he said praying that she would agree. He was in no state of mind to offer any resistance if she didn't. "It's just about tea time. Would you like to get something to eat?"  
  
Rosemary nodded. "Wait a moment please. It's getting warm," she said removing her jumper.  
  
Remus was in an absolute panic. 'What on Earth is she doing?!' he thought to himself.  
  
To his tremendous relief, under her jumper Rosemary was wearing a perfectly modest short-sleeved blouse.  
  
"Would you mind terribly carrying this for me?" she said as she handed Remus the jumper and glanced down at his current source of stress.  
  
"Thank you SO much" Remus said.  
  
"My pleasure." she answered him with a knowing smile.  
  
They found a quaint outdoor café not far from the bookstore. They sat close to each other and exchanged small touches and quiet laughs. Their eyes rarely left each other. Older couples at other tables smiled at them remembering what it was like when they were young and falling in love.  
  
Remus took hold of Rosemary's wrist and with the lightest of touches kissed the sensitive juncture where her wrist met her hand.  
  
Rosemary looked a Remus wide-eyed. "Oh my, there's an erogenous zone I didn't know I had."  
  
"What did you do, put a 'do not notice' charm on the table?" Rosemary asked Remus  
  
"No. Why? do you think I should?"  
  
"We've been sitting here for half and hour and the waitress hasn't even come to the table." Rosemary observed.  
  
"She probably didn't want to interrupt us." Remus speculated.  
  
"Excuse me, Miss?" he called for the waitresses attention.  
  
The waitress rolled her eyes and came to the table. Before Remus could say a word to her she said, "Look, I was hoping you would get the hint and just leave. I recognize you from the Daily Prophet. You're Lupin, the werewolf. We don't serve your kind here. " She said the word 'werewolf' as if it left a bad taste in her mouth."  
  
Remus felt as if his heart had stopped beating. This was not the first time he'd been treated dreadfully because of his lycanthropy. Usually it upset him but he took it in stride. But to have it happen today, in front of this woman, made him feel embarrassed and small.  
  
Rosemary was stunned beyond words. She looked at the waitress and opened her mouth to say something only to close her mouth again when the words would not come. She looked to Remus and her heart sank. It was obvious from his carriage that the waitresses' words had wounded him. Rosemary's eyes narrowed as she looked upon the waitress with open hostility. She looked at the young woman's name tag. 'Daisy, what a pretty name for such a loathsome woman.' Rosemary thought. She felt Remus' strong hands on her shoulders.  
  
"Let's go.", he said quietly.  
  
Rosemary stood up and looked Remus in the eye. He looked away, too humiliated to face her. "Yes, please. Let's go." she said quietly. She put a comforting arm around his waist and leaned against him. He put his arm around her shoulder and gently kissed the top of her head.  
  
They walked in silence for quite some time. They both needed time to process what had just happened. Rosemary was the first to speak.  
  
"I'm so sorry Remus. I had no idea." her voice trailed off.  
  
"You don't need to apologize. You didn't do anything wrong." The last thing Remus wanted was her pity.  
  
"I'm sorry about what I said back at Molly and Arthur's today when I asked you what was so bad about being a werewolf. I guess I just never realized that wizards could be so cruel. For some reason I thought that they would be better than Muggles in that regard."  
  
"Hardly." Remus huffed cynically.  
  
Rosemary leaned closer into Remus' side and thought about their day and how he made her feel. As they approached her car she came to the conclusion that she was not willing to let a stranger's ignorance ruin what she hoped was the beginning of something very special.  
  
" Remus, would you like to come back to my house?" I cook a fantastic breakfast."  
  
"Breakfast?"  
  
"Um, hmmm." she confirmed with a grin.  
  
Remus suddenly understood the nature of the invitation he was receiving and smiled.  
  
"I'd love to." he said pulling her close, never intending to let her go. 


	5. What's Your Pleasure?

Chapter 5- What's Your Pleasure?  
  
The ride to Rosemary's house was long and quiet. Their relationship had quickly grown beyond the need to fill silence with small talk. The new couple communicated in touches and glances, each deep in thought about what had happened that day and would surely transpire between them before the night was over. They finally arrived home just as evening was setting in.  
  
"Are you hungry?" Rosemary asked Remus as he pulled the front door closed behind him, shutting out the world.  
  
"Famished." He answered alluding to an entirely different kind of hunger. He pulled Rosemary close in his arms and kissed her deeply. Their lips parted at once as they began the mutual exploration of each others mouths.  
  
Rosemary felt weak in the knees as Remus ran his hands down her back and began to caress her bum and gasped as he released her mouth and turned his attention to her neck.  
  
Remus could feel her body's reaction to him and it heightened his arousal.  
  
"Mmmmmm, you wouldn't believe the thoughts I'm having about you right now." Rosemary said breathlessly.  
  
"Tell me." he murmured into her neck.  
  
"I want to see you, all of you. I want to touch and taste every inch of your body. I want to feel your weight on top of me and feel you moving inside of me."  
  
Remus moaned in response and continued his passionate assault on her neck.  
  
She laughed quietly. "Listen to me, I sound like a cheap romance novel."  
  
"No. I love it. Tell me more." He was sucking on her ear lobe and cupping her breast through her clothing.  
  
"Oh, no. It's your turn." Rosemary said as she broke off his advances to lead him up to her bedroom. "Tell me what you want to do."  
  
Remus kicked off his trainers and settled back on Rosemary's bed. He considered her question.  
  
"Do you promise you won't think I'm too strange?" He said before he answered.  
  
"No!" she laughed. "But I promise I'll do it if it's not too strange." Rosemary flounced onto the bed and, laying on top of him, regarded him openly. "So what's your pleasure?"  
  
Remus took a long pause before he answered. He replayed her words in his head several times. 'I promise I'll do it'. That was what she said. She really said it and it sure sounded like she meant it. He could hardly believe his good fortune. Things like this never happened to him. They had happened to Sirius all the time, but not to him. He began to feel a bit anxious. He'd never laid his fantasies on the line like this before.  
  
"Alright," He answered going out on an emotional limb. The potential for life altering embarrassment was substantial. "But if you don't want to do it just say no. Don't laugh at me. OK? And don't even speak of it again. Promise?"  
  
"Yes, I promise." Rosemary crossed her heart. "Now out with it!"  
  
"One more thing," He added, "Turn about is NOT fair play on this one."  
  
"OUT with it Remus!" She cried in humorous exasperation.  
  
"Ok," Remus took a deep breath and gave her a side long glance, " I want to watch you take your clothes off and then I want you to show me how you like to be touched." He looked down and waited for her to laugh and tell him to forget it.  
  
"You mean you want to watch me bring myself off?" Rosemary asked as casually as if she was asking him 'one lump or two'.  
  
Remus looked back up at her with amazement. That was the last thing he had expected her to say.  
  
"Well, yes. But only if you don't mind." he confirmed nervously.  
  
"I don't mind at all." Rosemary smiled suggestively. "Good choice actually. After four years alone, I've become something of an expert in that particular skill."  
  
Remus could not keep his thoughts straight. She said yes! An enthusiastic yes at that. It could not possibly get any better than this.  
  
Rosemary rolled off of Remus and set a pillow behind his back inviting him to sit back and enjoy the show.  
  
The first thing she took off and threw into his lap was her jumper, followed by her jeans. He was impressed by how toned her legs and bum were. Wearing only a button down blouse, her bra and her knickers she crawled onto the bed and knelt straddling his thighs. Sweeping her discarded garments to the floor, she unbuttoned the top buttons of her blouse to give him a spectacular view of her cleavage and just a bit of a peek at her black lace bra. She moved her hips in slow circles, lightly brushing her now very wet knickers against the erection straining through his jeans as she opened her blouse one agonizingly slow button at a time. Remus consciously restrained himself from ripping her blouse off and taking her right then and there.  
  
She slid her blouse off of her shoulders and down her arms and finally tossed it into the pile with her other clothes. Now clad only in a black lace bra and panties she teasingly brought her breasts close to his face, pulling back when she heard him gasp. Remus' breath became shallow and labored as she unhooked the bra clasp between her full breasts freeing them from their pretty lace constraints. He reached up to take them in his hands, in his mouth.  
  
Rosemary caught his hands before they reached their objective and firmly placed them behind his head.  
  
"You wanted to watch." She breathed into his ear.  
  
She continued the sensuous motion of her hips while she brought her hands up her rib cage and cupped her breast. Remus began to grind his hips powerfully into hers as she ran her fingers along her nipples and began to pinch and pull on them. They both moaned as she dipped her fingers into her knickers and began to stroke herself. Her breathing quickened and the movement of her hips became irregular as she approached her climax. The movement of his hips had already brought her to the edge and she found it impossible to prolong his fantasy any longer. She threw her head back and yelled his name as her body trembled in release.  
  
Every wizard has their limits and Remus had reached his. He slid down and pulled Rosemary's hips to his mouth, hungrily tonguing her through her lace knickers. Rosemary yelled his name again as he shredded her panties with his hands and pulled them off of her. She grabbed the headboard of the bed to steady herself as Remus pulled her to his mouth once again lapping every inch of her with his tongue. He nuzzled her nub with his nose and then eagerly sucked on it. He drank in her scent as she began to buck her hips on his face.  
  
"Now Remus. I need you in me NOW." Rosemary cried out as she moved her hips over his, completely forgetting that he still had his trousers on.  
  
"Ugh!" She tugged at his belt in utter frustration.  
  
He reached for his wand and charmed his clothes off, startling her.  
  
"Damn, it's good to be a wizard." she said with happiness and amazement.  
  
He pulled her close and rolled over positioning himself between her legs. Remus, the man, looked down on her face and was drawn to the desire in her eyes. The wolf in him instinctively took in her scent before entering her. His superior senses detected something more than the scent of arousal from Rosemary. Something more complex and more alluring. His conscious mind could not place it but the wolf immediately recognized it as fertility and was fixated on possessing her. His wolfish instinct was to turn her over and take her roughly from behind, planting his seed deep within her, finally biting her to mark her as his own. Remus thanked the gods that the full moon was two weeks away and that he was firmly in control of his feral impulses.  
  
Remus reached for his wand to cast a contraceptive spell on Rosemary.. 


	6. You Want Me to Put That Where!

Chapter 6- You Want Me to Put That Where!?  
  
"Damn!" Remus cursed loudly, startling Rosemary. He immediately regretted the outburst. "I'm sorry, shhh, I'm sorry." he gently whispered in her ear.  
  
"What's wrong" Rosemary asked deeply concerned.  
  
"Ro, are you on any kind of Muggle birth control?" Remus asked. It was a plea more than a question.  
  
"No. You're the first man I've been with in four years." She answered, suddenly coming to the realization that they were in big trouble.  
  
"I can't cast a contraception spell on you."  
  
"Oh no, you can't." She said quietly.  
  
"You're fertile right now, I can detect the scent. We can't do this."  
  
"You can smell fertility?" Rosemary was simultaneously impressed and tremendously frustrated.  
  
Remus rolled over and lay on his back looking up at the ceiling and silently cursing his bad luck. For the second time in one day he found himself breathing deeply and trying very hard to ignore an erection that refused to be ignored. Rosemary sat on the bed with her head in her hands desperately trying to think of a solution to their problem. She looked at Remus with an expression he couldn't quite read.  
  
"I wonder." she said tapping her finger on her lips, a gesture Remus immediately recognized as her thinking face. Hope surged in him as he sat up to see what she would do next.  
  
"Pray to whatever gods you believe in that I find what I'm looking for." she said to him as she dashed out of bed.  
  
Remus listened with interest to the cacophony of sounds coming from the loo. A great many things were falling, glass was breaking. It sounded as if someone had just released one hundred Cornish pixies in the room.  
  
"Are you OK in there?" He asked wondering what the hell she was up to.  
  
"Just hold on. He always hid some in here. I just have to find them"  
  
"Find what?" He asked.  
  
"The answer to your prayers." She called out.  
  
Suddenly Rosemary let out a loud victory whoop that made Remus laugh.  
  
"I found one!" She said breathlessly as she came out of the loo excitedly waving a small square packet.  
  
"What did you find?" Remus asked expectantly, wondering how this tiny item was to be his salvation.  
  
" A condom!" Rosemary was delighted with her discovery.  
  
"What pray tell is a condom?"  
  
"You don't know? Oh, I suppose you wouldn't." She cocked her head and thought about how best to explain the birth control device to him. "A condom is a rubbery sheath that you put over yourself to keep your seed from entering my body when we make love."  
  
"That I put over myself." he clarified. He was trying to conjure a mental image of exactly how this would work.  
  
"Um hmmm."  
  
He eyed Rosemary apprehensively.  
  
"A sheath I put over myself exactly where?" He asked very deliberately. If the answer to his question was what he suspected, this condom contraption wasn't the answer to any prayer he ever prayed.  
  
"One guess handsome." Rosemary said crawling into bed next to him and running her fingernail lightly up his length. "Impressive." she commented appreciatively.  
  
He felt a shudder run through his body. Her touch was as arousing as her answer was appalling. He stared at Rosemary with disbelief.  
  
"Let me see if I understand you correctly," Remus closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He took a moment to collect his thoughts before asking Rosemary to confirm his worst fear. "You expect me to wrap my penis in rubber before we make love?"  
  
"Technically it's latex, but yes, that's the general idea." She answered with a hopeful smile.  
  
"Please tell me you're joking Ro." he pleaded.  
  
"No joke love. They can't be all that bad. Muggle men use them all the time."  
  
"If this thing is the best Muggles can do for birth control, no wonder you outnumber wizards five thousand to one" Remus grumbled. He found the concept of a physical barrier between two lovers offensive.  
  
"Come on! Where's that Gryffindor bravery I've heard so much about. Take a chance, try something new." Rosemary said trying to cajole a little enthusiasm out of Remus. Since enthusiasm was not forthcoming she tried a different tact. "Ok Remus, consider your alternatives. It's the condom or we play at wizard's chess. What'll it be?"  
  
'This can not be happening' he thought to himself. He looked at the woman lying next to him. She stirred him as no woman ever had before. Abstinence was out of the question. He briefly weighed the relative merits of a baby versus the Muggle rubber wrap and, after a torturous battle with his inner wolf, common sense prevailed. Still agitated from his internal conflict Remus snapped, "Fine, give me the bloody thing and show me what I'm supposed to do with it."  
  
'That didn't come out right.' he immediately thought to himself. He looked at Rosemary and knew he was in trouble before she said a word. She wasn't angry. Angry he could handle. Far worse, she was disappointed.  
  
"Ro, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that the way it came out."  
  
"Never mind." she interrupted quietly as she sat on the side of the bed with her back to him gathering her clothes from the floor. "Don't do me any favors."  
  
Remus sat behind her and pulled her close. She didn't resist when he began to kiss her neck and plead his case.  
  
"Ro, I did NOT mean that the way it sounded. I'm not like that, ask anyone who knows me. I'm lovable, dependable, tragically flawed Remus Lupin. I would never intentionally hurt you like that. I don't know why it came out like that. It's like I was channeling Severus or something.."  
  
"Severus Snape? The potion prick?" Rosemary interrupted with the beginnings of a very small grin. She forgave Remus the moment he put his arms around her. She was grateful for the opportunity to let him off the hook.  
  
'Potion prick.' Remus laughed to himself. That was one he hadn't heard before. He mentally filed it away for future use.  
  
"You've met him?"  
  
"No, never, " she answered. "But seven Weasleys, a Granger and a Potter can't very well be wrong. Although to tell you the truth, I think Hermione fancies him."  
  
"You wouldn't say that if you knew him. He really is a prick."  
  
"Some women find pricks *very* attractive." she informed him in a lilting voice.  
  
"Well I just did my best imitation of a prick and you didn't seem to find it very attractive." He joked.  
  
"No I didn't." she smiled. "You should stick with what you're good at."  
  
They shared a laugh and the tension dissipated as quickly as it had begun. Remus made an additional mental note to thank Severus for being such a greasy git.  
  
"Can we start this over?" Remus asked Rosemary as his hands found their way to her breasts.  
  
"I suppose. Where would you like to start from?" She was losing herself in the sensations he was creating with his hands and with his mouth.  
  
"How about from 'Remus I need you in me now'?" he eagerly suggested.  
  
"I think you're going to have to go back a little bit further." she teased.  
  
"Hmmm. How about from here?" He moved from behind her and eased her back against the mattress. He peppered her face and body with light kisses as he made his way in front of her. He knelt on the floor and placed her legs over his strong shoulders.  
  
Rosemary gasped as Remus lightly blew on her damp chestnut curls. His capable, strong hands gently caressed her inner thighs causing her to tremble with anticipation. His approach was very different from the first time he gave her this most intimate kiss. That had been driven by reflex and passion. This time the passion was choreographed to produce feelings she had never experienced before.  
  
He teased her with an exceptionally gentle touch, skillfully tracing around her entrance with his tongue, savoring her sweet, sweet essence. Her body reacted without conscious thought, rocking her hips, slowly at first and then more forcefully, seeking more of the irresistible sensations he was triggering.  
  
Remus held her hips down on the bed to slow the pace. He wanted their one opportunity to make love to last as long as possible. Using his thumbs, he gently parted her folds and began to lightly stroke her center. The movement of his tongue became bolder as he thrust it in and out of her.  
  
Rosemary's moans became cries as the amazing things that this man could do with his mouth overwhelmed her. He lightened his touch to bring her back down as her body approached release only to build her back up again.  
  
Rosemary was quite sure she would drop dead on the spot if he slowed down one more time.  
  
Using every bit of sensory perception he had, Remus read her body like a book and knew that the time had come to bring her home. He moved his mouth up to her center eagerly licking and sucking on her nub while his fingers skillfully moved inside her. Slowly at first and then faster and faster until her entire body shook with pleasure and she was screaming his name.  
  
Remus laid down next to Rosemary and could not take his eyes off of her. She had the look of a woman well pleasured. Her eyes sparkled, her face and chest were slightly blushed and her breathing had a sensuous catch to it. To Remus, there was no more beautiful sight in the world.  
  
"That was incredible" Rosemary struggled to find the words to express what she was feeling. It was the understatement of the century. "What about you? I don't know if I can match that."  
  
"Don't worry," Remus said kissing her softly on the forehead, "We're not done yet."  
  
"I think I might be." Rosemary regretfully offered. "I'm totally spent."  
  
"We'll see." Remus looked like a man with a secret.  
  
Remus held her close and whispered lover's words in her ear. As she relaxed he began to slowly explore the unexpectedly sensitive areas of her body. He rained feather soft kisses down on her eyelashes, ears, jaw line, collarbone, and wrists. Only when she began to respond to his patient ministrations did he move his attention to the more sensitive areas of her neck, lips and breasts; all the while carefully avoiding the most sensitive area between her legs. He would not touch that until she begged him to.  
  
Remus delighted in her body. He ran his hands up her ribs, cupping her full breasts. He moved his mouth down and took each nipple in turn into his mouth, gently sucking and flicking them with his tongue. He felt her hips begin to move against his. It took every bit of self-control that he possessed to wait until she was ready again before entering her.  
  
Rosemary was astonished to find that her body was responding with need again. The one area he would not touch was the one that was aching to be filled.  
  
"Please Remus, now. I need to feel you inside me. Please."  
  
She didn't need to ask him twice.  
  
"Put that thing on me Ro." Remus commanded hoarsely.  
  
Rosemary quickly complied. Remus hated the feel of the sheath but was determined to deal with it for her sake. He positioned himself between her legs and entered her slowly giving her time to adjust to his presence. He began to move in deep slow thrusts hoping that getting on with things would improve the situation; however, if anything, it only made matters worse.  
  
He had anticipated that sex would feel different with a barrier, what he had not anticipated was the strength of his reaction to the scent. Unlike other men, Remus experienced his world as much through his enhanced sense of smell as he did through sight, sound and touch. This was especially true when he was intimate with a woman. Scent was his roadmap. The heady combination of pheromones, sweat, and natural lubrication let him know when a woman was aroused, when she was fertile and, most importantly, when his actions were satisfying her. The wolf in him reveled in marking his mate with the distinctively masculine scent of his own semen and pheromones.  
  
Remus growled in frustration. Tainting her scent and completely masking his were unnatural chemical odors that reminded him of a potions experiment gone horribly wrong. His aggravation was building; the scent was all wrong, the feel was wrong, everything was wrong. In one decisive moment conscious reason gave way to his carnal nature. He withdrew from her body and tugged the sheath off. He quickly reentered her with a deep groan of satisfaction, immersing himself fully in the total sensory experience.  
  
In an instant he found himself flat on his back with a very angry partner glaring down at him.  
  
"What is god's name do you think you're doing?" Rosemary was incensed.  
  
Carnal thoughts were now a memory and conscious reasoning, seasoned with a healthy dose of apprehension took over. He was impressed with her physical strength. It was a rare woman who could throw off a werewolf in full rut, even in human form. "I can't believe I did that. That thing is awful, I just can't use it."  
  
Rosemary's demeanor softened. "I figured as much." She fell back against the bed. "What are we going to do?"  
  
"I have no earthly idea." Remus answered.  
  
Once again they found themselves laying next to each other and staring at the ceiling in silence. The quiet was eventually broken by Rosemary's quiet laugh.  
  
"I can't imagine what you find funny in all of this." Remus commented.  
  
Rosemary propped herself up on her elbow and looked at him with affection. "The mighty wizard defeats two Deatheaters only to be thwarted by a piece of latex. Oh, how the mighty have fallen."  
  
"The mighty wizard wouldn't have defeated anything if you hadn't heard through the Do Not Notice-" He stopped talking suddenly and processed the beginnings of an idea.  
  
"What? What is it?" Rosemary was intrigued.  
  
"A Do Not Notice charm. Of course! Why didn't I think of it sooner?"  
  
"Probably because you haven't had adequate blood flow to your brain since Flourish and Blotts. What are you playing at Remus?"  
  
"If I put a Do Not Notice charm on the sheath it won't make any difference to you and hopefully it will make everything work for me. I just have to alter the charm a bit. Usually this charm doesn't affect the wizard who casts it, but that should be easy enough to get around."  
  
"One problem. What will you cast the spell on? You killed our one and only sheath."  
  
"That's not a problem." Remus took hold of his wand and cast a repairing spell on the sheath returning it to an unused condition. He cast several spells until he finally hit on one that he seemed satisfied with.  
  
"Can you see the sheath Ro?" he asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Good, I can't see it or smell it. Hopefully I won't feel it either. Will you put it on me again?"  
  
"What do you feel?" she asked as she unrolled the sheath down his length.  
  
"Only your hands." Remus answered with a satisfied sigh.  
  
"Do you want to start this over again?" Rosemary asked with a laugh.  
  
"I suppose. Where do you want to start from?" he parodied their earlier conversation.  
  
"How about from 'Remus I need you in me now'?" she smiled.  
  
"Sounds good to me." he answered as he took possession of her mouth with his own. He positioned himself above her once again and entered her with one slow, sensuous stroke. He marveled at how tight and warm her body was. Their eyes locked as he thrust slowly in and out of her, rubbing himself up against her center with every stroke.  
  
His unhurried, deliberate movements increased the considerable sexual tension that had already built up in her body. Rosemary ached for release. She wanted him hard and fast and she wanted him now. She wrapped her legs around his waist and moved her hips to meet his every stroke.  
  
"Please.more..faster." Rosemary had seemingly lost command of the English language but was somehow articulate enough to get her point across. Remus began thrusting and grinding into her with abandon. Every movement he made sent a rush through her bringing her closer and closer to climax.  
  
"Yes! Oh god, yes" she called as he brought her to release again. The force of her contracting muscles was enough to bring him with her.  
  
They lay spent in each other's arms. Remus charmed away his despised sheath as Rosemary absentmindedly traced the scars that covered his chest with her finger. Remus, who was usually self-conscious about the marks, found her touch intimate and comforting. He was especially moved because she didn't ask him how he got the scars, she just accepted them. He didn't need to feel ashamed or wrong with her. In this room, in this bed, with this woman, his burdens were lifted.  
  
"That was amazing." Rosemary said languorously. "You want to do it again?" She felt the rumble of a quiet laugh as her head rested on Remus' chest.  
  
"That is so unlikely for such a variety of reasons." he said pulling her closer.  
  
"You didn't like it?" Rosemary asked.  
  
"Like it? I loved it. I love you. I hate that horrid sheath, but I love you."  
  
"Then we'll have to find a way to get rid of the horrid sheath." Rosemary answered affectionately.  
  
The room was silent except for the sound of the crickets coming in through the open window. After what Remus thought was surely the longest pause in the history of human conversation he finally spoke.  
  
"Ro?"  
  
"Hmmmm."  
  
"I just said I love you."  
  
"I know."  
  
Remus waited through another brutal silence.  
  
"And?" Remus asked hesitantly.  
  
"I need more than a day Remus."  
  
"Can I take that as a maybe?"  
  
Rosemary took Remus' face in her hands and smiled, "You can take that as a probably." 


	7. Afterglow and Confessions

Chapter 7: Afterglow and Confessions

Was that my stomach or yours that just growled?" Remus asked Rosemary as they lie in bed enjoying the afterglow.

"Hard to say." She answered. "Are you hungry? For _food_?" 

"Now that you mention it, yes. I'm starved."

"Don't go away. I'll be right back!" Rosemary said as she slipped into his jumper and hastened down to the kitchen to put together a meal. He found the sight of his otherwise naked lover wearing his shabby old garment surprisingly erotic. 

He took this opportunity to use the loo. He laughed out loud at the carnage Rosemary had created when she ransacked the room looking for that vile little sheath. Her medicine cabinet was wide open with most of its contents lying in the sink. The aroma from various broken bottles of toiletries was overpowering.

"Accio wand." His wand flew into his hand with a decisive smack. A few 'reparos' and 'wingardium leviosas' later and the room was back in what he hoped was good order.

"Help me!" came a plaintive plea from the bottom of the steps. Remus hurried to the top of the steps to find Rosemary trying to manage a platter of food, a bottle of wine and various glasses and cutlery.

"Wingardium Leviosa" he levitated their meal up the steps and set it on the bed.

"If I had known that having a wizard around the house was so handy I would have found myself one years ago." She kidded as she came up the steps gratefully empty-handed.

They sat on the bed and ate fruit, cheese and savory biscuits. They drank a bit too much wine and talked until well into the night.

"You have to know that you're divine in the sack." Rosemary said, "Where did you learn to do those things that you do? I know it wasn't from the blue section at Flourish and Blotts." She said with a wink.

Remus bounced a grape off of her forehead. 

"I don't know, just wolf instincts I suppose." He answered evasively.

"Liar. Moves like that don't come naturally; they have to be learned. I'll bet you were some older woman's boy toy when you were an impressionable young man." She teased.

Remus shifted uncomfortably and avoided eye contact. He suddenly felt very transparent. Rosemary's jaw dropped.

"I KNEW it!" she exclaimed with delight. "I'm right then, aren't I?!"

"Guilty as charged." He confessed with a laugh. "I was a 7th year and she was, I don't know, late thirties, forty. Attractive in her own way."

Rosemary was nearly falling over laughing.

"It was a VERY educational relationship." He added wistfully.

"Obviously!" She laughed. "I can't believe it. You shagged one of your professors?!"

"NO, not a professor, and no more questions. If I tell you any more I shall be forced to kill you," he said with mock gravity.

"Whoever it was must have known a lot about anatomy. She certainly taught you everything you need to know about a woman's body."

Bull's-eye. Rosemary was dead on a mark she didn't even know she was aiming for.

He practically choked on what he was eating. 'How does she do that?' He wondered. "ENOUGH! I'm taking this to my grave. Don't ask any more!"

"Have it your way. If I ever happen to meet this woman though, I'll probably kiss her right square on the lips in gratitude."

"Now THAT has interesting possibilities," he said with a leer. They both laughed.

"You know, I never even told Sirius about that relationship." Remus mused on a more thoughtful note. "What is it about you that makes me tell you everything?" He felt as if he was under the influence of veritaserum ever since he met her. 

They talked about their wonderful day where everything went wrong. Remus told her about the Marauder's antics and about the deaths of James and Sirius. He told her about the bite that changed his life forever. Rosemary in turn told him about her difficult childhood, her unfaithful dead husband and her friendship with the Weasleys. In due course they fell asleep contented in each other's arms. 

Later, in that nether state between sleep and wakefulness, Rosemary reached over in bed and was troubled to find herself alone. She looked over and saw Remus sitting on the window seat smoking a cigarette and blowing the smoke out the open window. He was deep in thought. 

"Didn't peg you for a smoker." She said as she wrapped herself in a dressing gown and joined him on the window seat.

"I'm usually not." he replied, not looking at her.

"Share?" she said reaching over for the cigarette. She took a deep drag, clearly savoring it. "Remind me, why did I give these up fifteen years ago?" 

"Perhaps because they'll kill you?" He offered.

"Ah yes. That was it." She replied. She reached over and returned the cigarette to its owner. "Having second thoughts?" 

"Gods no!" he replied startled that she would even think such a thing.

"Then what weighs so heavily on the mind of my lycanthropic lover?" She gently inquired. "I hope it isn't the incident at the café."

Remus looked out the window at nothing in particular. "Yes…not really…. I don't know." He didn't see any way around disappointing her.

"What then?"

Remus sighed. "Do you remember when you asked me what was so horrible about being a werewolf?"

"Yes."

He took another drag on his cigarette. He knew that what he was going to say next might hurt her and that was the last thing he wanted to do.

"My answer was not entirely truthful." 

"Really." Rosemary answered dispassionately. "Perhaps now would be a good time to come clean."

"I told you about the pain and you saw the discrimination."

"Yes."

"What I didn't tell you is that there are certain restrictions set on werewolves. I didn't tell you at the time because I didn't anticipate us getting so close. I'm so sorry. I should have told you before…" Remus gestured towards the bed. He paused for a moment searching for words. "I'm afraid I may have started something I can't see through. I don't want to hurt you."

"Wait, just slow down." She moved closer to him. "What kind of restrictions?"

He flicked what remained of the cigarette out the window and ran his hands through his hair. "Ro, I'm so sorry. I don't know if you want anything like this, but I should have told you anyway so you could have decided if you really wanted to start a relationship with me. I really am so sorry. I should have told you before."

"Tell me now."

Remus' eyes dropped. "Werewolves are prohibited from marrying and having children. The penalties for reproducing are horrible." He finally admitted.

Rosemary felt as if she had been punched. "Oh no." was the only answer she could manage. I was her turn to stare at nothing outside the window.

Remus cautiously observed her response. He found her expression, her mannerisms and even her scent confusing and unreadable. "I'm so sorry I've disappointed you." 

"Disappointed?" Rosemary was roused from her own thoughts. "Disappointed is just about the only thing I don't feel right now."

"How do you feel?" he asked, not sure that he really wanted to hear her answer.

"I have so many thoughts on this I can hardly sort them out. I'm angry at the entire wizarding world for being such bigots. I'm heartbroken that you can't have everything that you want. I'm acutely embarrassed that I made light of your condition at the Weasley's this morning. And, to be perfectly honest with you, I'm relieved. I thought you were going to tell me that we couldn't see each other anymore."

Remus let out the breath he had been holding.

"Don't beat yourself up for another second about not telling me sooner. I promise you, it wouldn't have changed what we did or how I feel."

"Are you sure?" he asked tentatively.

"Yes, I'm sure. I don't know if I want marriage and children. I've only known you for one day. The only thing I know for sure is that I want you. But…." Remus hated the word 'but'. Nothing he ever wanted to hear ever followed that word. He braced himself for disappointment as she continued, "I do feel much better now about forcing you to wear that despicable sheath." She stood up and playfully smacked the back of his head. "How could you even think about taking that kind of risk?"

"It would seem that my ability to think clearly disappears when you take off your clothes." He offered a weak smile. He pulled her on to his lap and held her close. "I have so little to offer you and so many complications. If you were smart you would send me packing immediately."

"So little to offer? Are you kidding?" She looked at him incredulously. "Perhaps you hadn't noticed, but I really, REALLY enjoyed myself tonight."

Remus chuckled. "You know that's not what I meant, Ro." He looked at her hopefully, "You really, REALLY enjoyed yourself?"

"Yes. Really, really." She answered him. She ran her hand along the side of his face and through his graying hair. She looked into his striking amber eyes and realized that he had no idea how wonderful he was.

"Actually, I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I also have a confession to make." She paused before continuing. "I can't believe I'm telling you this."

" I knew a lot about you before I met you today. The Weasleys talk about you all the time and Harry, poor Harry; he thinks the world of you. All summer I heard 'Remus said this…Remus did that'. Molly told me you were going with them to see the children off to school and, this is the kind of embarrassing part, I stopped by hoping to meet you."

"Really?"

"Do you think I'm lying?" she laughed "Of course really."

"It's not that I don't believe you. It's just unbelievably fantastic." He said as he slipped one hand into her gown and caressed her body.

"Mmmmm, that's nice." She delighted in feel of his gentle touch. "There's a reason I'm telling you this and now you made me forget what it is."

"We were discussing the fact that I have nothing to offer you except the prospect of 'really, really' good sex."

"Really, really_ great _sex." she corrected him, completely losing herself in the feel of his roaming hands. 

Finally remembering her point, Rosemary smirked evilly and asked, "Are you shagging Molly Weasley?" 

"WHAT?! Have you gone daft!?" He stood up quickly dropping her flat on her bum. She sat on the floor laughing and held out her hands for a lift up.

"Well, it's just that Molly thinks you're the greatest thing since sliced bread and you've admitted that all you're good for is a great shag. I'm just putting two and two together." She said trying very hard to stifle a laugh and sound as if she were drawing a logical conclusion.

"Come to think of it," she continued as she settled back onto his lap, playing with his chest hair, " a lot of people think you're something special. No wonder you're so thin. You must be exhausted from shagging them all. Arthur says that Albus Dumbledore has a great deal of respect for you."

"Oh that's just too disgusting. Stop!" Remus was laughing in spite of himself.

"You need to take better stock of your personal resources" she chided him.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He thought Rosemary sounded a lot like Hermione when she took to lecturing. 

"Obviously." She wasn't joking around anymore. "Here's the situation as I see it. You have talents and abilities and it seems that everyone knows it except you. Whenever anyone has a problem you're always the one who's there to take care of it. When Molly was upset about Percy and when she was frightened by the boggart she said that you were the one to sort things out for her. I don't think Harry would have even begun to come to grips with Sirius' death if you hadn't helped him. You put your life on the line regularly against the Deatheaters to protect strangers who won't even treat you decently, let alone thank you for it. I think that says a lot about what you have to offer."

"I don't understand." She continued. "How can you be so good at taking care of other people and be so bad at taking care of yourself?" She took his hands and pulled him to his feet leading him back to bed. "Instead of worrying about what you have to offer me, why don't you just, for probably the first time in your life, concern yourself with what I can offer you? Let me take care of you."

"But we don't have any more of those appalling wrappers." He was surprised and a bit amused that he found this disappointing. 

'Sex is the very least of what I can offer you.' Rosemary thought to herself. She'd made her living knowing potential when she saw it and she saw plenty of it sitting right in front of her. She shook herself out of her reverie and flashed a decidedly decadent smile. 

"Don't worry, I have a few talents I haven't shown you yet."

*************************************

A/N: There should be more than enough clues here for you to figure out who schooled Remus in the fine art of pleasuring a woman. Care to venture a guess?

Also, some of you have noted that things seem to be proceeding rather quickly between Remus and Rosemary and that it seemed a little unrealistic. I quite agree. Things are moving rather fast. One might almost think that there are outside influences at work here. The pace is no accident. Keep reading. All shall become clear in later chapters. 


	8. Ice and Chocolate

**__**

Chapter 8 - Ice and Chocolate

"Don't worry, I have a few talents I haven't shown you yet."

"I like the sound of that." Remus grinned as he settled back into bed. He took hold of Rosemary's hips to draw her down to him.

"Not yet." She said moving her hips out of his grasp with a suggestive wiggle. "I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" Remus called out after her.

"We need accessories." She announced over her shoulder as she bounced out of the room.

"Oh no… No!" Remus tried to catch her before she left. He'd had quite enough of Muggle 'accessories' for one night, thank you very much. "Merlin preserve me, I'm in trouble now." He said shaking his head.

'_What the hell is she up to this time?_' he wondered. 

He stowed his wand under a pillow as Rosemary entered the room empty handed and with a distinctly devilish look on her face. She went into a dresser drawer and retrieved a scarf, which she carefully folded into a long strip.

'_I'm doomed_.' He thought as she crawled into bed with the scarf.

"Do you trust me?" She asked in a seductive tone that made him think that maybe he shouldn't.

"Yes?" 

Rosemary laughed at his trepidation. She gently placed the scarf over his eyes and tied it behind his head.

"Can you see?" 

Remus shook his head to indicate that he couldn't.

"Good. You're going to love this." She whispered in his ear and then she was gone. He was aware of the sound of his own heartbeat as he lay alone, blindfolded in the bed. The anticipation alone was arousing. He heard her quietly padding into the room with what sounded like glasses clinking against each other.

"I have some surprises for you." She said as she placed the items next to the bed.

'_Silly Muggle_.' he thought as he smiled broadly, '_Don't you know that I don't need to see what you've got to know what it is?' _Remus felt that the balance of power had shifted in his favor. He discretely sampled the scents around him_._

"Mmmmmm" Remus moaned as he placed the first scent. '_Undoubtedly chocolate! Dark and semisweet if I'm not mistaken.--Slightly toasted aroma, as if it were…melted! So far so good. What else? Almonds….but too strong to be almonds. Almond oil. That's it! Hmmm, that has interesting possibilities. -- One more thing -- Faint scent of chlorine and minerals. Definitely Muggle tap water. But it didn't sound like water when she carried it in. It sounded like….ice?! Don't know how I feel about that.' _

"Chocolate, almond oil and ice, right?" He said smugly and quite amused with himself.

"Oh sod off Remus. You're no fun at all." Rosemary said with a chuckle as she pulled off his blindfold and threw it over her shoulder. "I figured you'd get the oil and the chocolate, but honestly, who can smell ice? I was hoping at least that would be a surprise."

"I have a feeling that it's going to be." He laughed. "May I know what your intentions are?"

"My intentions? Well, aren't we formal." She said as she lay down on top of him resting her chin in her hand. "Mr. Lupin, I assure you that my intentions are nothing but decadent and dishonorable." She teased as she lightly ran a chocolate covered finger down the center of his lips. Remus let out a low growl as he caught her finger gently between his teeth. Their eyes locked as he circled her finger with his tongue and sucked all of the chocolate off of it. He kissed her fingertip before releasing it.

__

'Oh my god. Heart racing--breathing shallow--flooding all over myself. Add index finger to list of new erogenous zones.'

"You're delicious." He said with a wolfish grin. "I could eat you up."

"You already have. Twice."

"I have an insatiable appetite." He said shifting his hips under hers so she could feel his desire pressing up against her belly. 

"So it would seem." Rosemary said with an impressed glint in her eyes. "However, tempting as your offer is, it's my turn to entertain you, so I'll thank you to keep your talented mouth to yourself -- at least for a little while."

"Here." She said rolling off of him and handing him the small bowl of chocolate. "This is for you."

Remus had hardly imagined that such a thing was possible, but he was actually disappointed that someone was giving him chocolate. "Oh, I thought that you were going to do things with this."

"I am, in a way. What I have in mind requires your cooperation. I ask you again, do you trust me?"

"Yes."

"Enough to come out of yourself and show me what lurks behind those gorgeous amber eyes?"

"Yes." He answered knowing it was what she wanted to hear. In truth revealing his private thoughts made him very uncomfortable.

"Excellent! Here's what we're going to do. It's really quite simple. You're going to show me where you want to be touched by putting chocolate on the spot. I'll stay in that spot until you show me that you want to move on by putting chocolate somewhere else. This can be a safe, ordinary romp in the sack or everything you've ever wanted. It's up to you. Are you game?"

__

'No, no, no. I'm not even the slightest bit interested in playing this game. If I play it safe she'll think I'm boring; if I don't play it safe an entire universe of possible rejection opens up.. One potentially embarrassing request per night is my limit.' Remus thought to himself. The trick was going to be getting out of the situation without ending up on his knees apologizing again. He doubted the potion prick could save him twice in one night.

"I have a better idea." He said, passing the bowl of chocolate back to her. "Why don't you decide where the chocolate should go? Wouldn't that be a better way to show how much I trust you?" He offered hopefully.

"You know it's not." Rosemary said shaking her head. "You might want to rethink your position. I'm a Muggle of unknown proclivities and I have ice in my arsenal."

"I have a wand in mine." Remus smirked as he reached behind the pillow and brandished his wand like a rapier. 

Rosemary yawned delicately to demonstrate that she was unimpressed. "Your wand won't work on me." 

"It'll work on ice."

She eyed him suspiciously. "You wouldn't dare."

"Oh yes, I most certainly would." He said slowly, looking her straight in the eye. His face was a portrait of seriousness but his eyes betrayed his amusement.

__

'Oh my!' Rosemary felt a shiver run through her body. She found Remus' sudden display of assertiveness exciting. Her reaction did not escape the keen senses of the werewolf. He tapped his wand on the bowl and the ice shifted as a few of the cubes on the bottom melted.

"You dared!" Rosemary looked from the bowl back to Remus who gave her a look that clearly challenged her to do something about it. She smiled down at him wryly. _'Fine. You want to play it that way…let the games begin.' _

"I believe you have some chocolate for me." He teased.

"You want chocolate? I've got your chocolate right here, mate." She flicked a finger full of the gooey, warm liquid at his face, spattering him from his hairline, across one eye and over his nose. Remus wiped the chocolate off of his eye and licked it from his fingers. He grinned evilly as he casually touched his wand to the bowl of ice again and melted all of it.

Rosemary's eyes narrowed. "Now you're really asking for it." She said as she sat back on her heels, straddling his hips. She picked up the bowl of chocolate and moved it menacingly in her hand. Her brief delay was her undoing. She felt his body tense for action and reacted quickly, but Remus was quicker. Before she knew what hit her she found herself flat on her back with the entire contents of the bowl splattered all over her. She felt the warm liquid running down the sides of her face and into her ears and her hair. Her neck and chest were chocolate drizzled confections for the wolf's fodder.

Rosemary opened her mouth to protest but her words were muffled by Remus' mouth crushing down on hers. Unlike the gentle, controlled kisses earlier in the night, this kiss exuded raw power and strength. He devoured her mouth, tasting every surface inside of it. He broke off his kiss to lick and suck the chocolate off of her neck, nipping her where her neck and shoulder met. Rosemary gasped, not at all sure if it was an expression of pain or pleasure.

His mouth hungrily followed the trail of chocolate down to her chest. He roughly caressed her full breasts. He rolled her pink nipples in his fingers, sucked and nipped at them. He paid close attention to what her body was telling him, careful never to cross the line between excitement and actual pain. He filled his hand with cold water left from the ice he melted and trickled it over her breast. 

Rosemary inhaled sharply from the shock of the cold. The unbelievable sensations of his mouth, the warm chocolate and the cold water had Rosemary writhing with pleasure. She didn't know it was possible to feel so aroused.

Remus' senses drank in her arousal and it fueled his own. He didn't just want this woman; he needed her like he needed air. Their earlier activity did nothing to take the edge off his desire. If anything, the memory of what it felt like to be inside her with her legs wrapped around him and her hands caressing his back made him want her more. His carefully maintained control was shattered when she raked her fingernails across his back and rocked her hips beneath him.

"Oh gods Ro, stop me." He moaned as he entered her. Their joining brought gasps of shock and pleasure from both of them.

"I…can't" Rosemary breathed into his ear. Aside from her trembling she lay stock still beneath him. She was too afraid to accept him and too aroused to push him away.

"Please Ro," He pleaded. "you've got to help me out here, even if it's just to tell me 'no'." 

"No." She whispered without conviction into his ear. He tentatively began to pull away, stopping short of completely removing himself. He was sorely tempted to plunge back into her when Rosemary shifted her hips and completed the separation of their bodies.

Remus rolled off of Rosemary feeling very conflicted. His body burned with a desire that he was grateful, considering the Ministry's draconian penalties, would not be fulfilled.

"There will be other nights." Rosemary whispered in his ear as she showered gentle kisses on his neck.

"Please, stop. That's not helping." He said struggling to regain his control.

"No." she said, this time with conviction.

"No?! Do you have any idea what will happen to me if we go through with this?" 

"Shhh." She hushed him as she moved her kisses down his chest, teasing his nipples as he had teased hers. When she ventured lower to the hard muscles of his abdomen he realized that she had something completely different in mind. She smiled as she felt his body relax to accept the pleasure she was offering him.

He shuddered as she ran her tongue lightly up his length, before taking just the tip in her mouth. She swirled the tip with her tongue before releasing it.

"Don't stop." He moaned.

"I'm not going to." She replied. "I need you to warm the oil up to body temperature. Can the mighty wand handle that?"

"What's the oil for?" He was both excited and uncertain.

"That's for me to know and you to find out." She said playfully.

He hesitated.

"Just DO it."

"Yes Ma'am!" He said with a laugh complying with her request. He was so glad that he did as she grasped him with her lithe fingers which were now warm and delightfully slippery from the oil. Her hand worked his length while her mouth resumed its tantalizing activities at the head. His hands grabbed fistfuls of the sheets as he restrained himself from thrusting into her mouth.

"It's OK for you to move all you want. Just don't grab my head." She told him as she broke contact just long enough to oil the fingers on her other hand. He tried a few experimental thrusts to see if it really was OK. He found that the way she moved her hand and her mouth in opposite directions really did allow him to move all he wanted without hurting her.

He rocked his hips as he felt her snake her other hand down under his testicles. His breathing became more rapid as she gently cupped them and rolled them in her hand. Her hand moved down further and began to massage the sensitive area behind them.

"Oh gods that feels good. I'm so close."

She slowed the movements of her mouth and her hands to prolong the act for him. Looking down, she saw the muscles in his legs and feet tense as he approached release. She slipped her finger into the tight muscles of his rear passage and grazed it over his prostate.

'_Sweet mother of Merlin, what a feeling!' _He'd heard that touching a man on his inside was intense, but he never dreamed that it would feel this good. He thrust himself wildly into her mouth. Every thrust increased the unbelievable sensations that he was experiencing within and outside of his body. With great heaving breaths he came into her mouth. It was the most powerful orgasm he could ever remember experiencing. 

He pulled Rosemary up and held her close until his heart rate slowed enough that he was fairly certain that he wasn't going to drop dead on the spot. "Where did you learn to do that?" He asked her.

"I would tell you, but then I would have to kill you." She joked.

"I told you!" He said, feigning indignity.

"No you didn't. I guessed."

"True enough." He conceded as he took her face in his hands and gently kissed her. He began the subtle touches of satisfying her when she took his hands in her own.

"I'm fine."

"You couldn't possibly be. I want to do this." He said tenderly.

"Right now all I feel is sticky." She said as she fingered the chocolate that was now hardened in her hair.

Remus chuckled. "Let that be a lesson to you. In hand to hand combat you never hesitate. Consider that your first DADA lesson."

"Thank you Professor Lupin. I'll try to remember that." She laughed.

"Come with me. I'll start a shower for us." He said leading her to the bath.

The chocolate streamed off of their bodies as they embraced under the hot, steamy water. The most deeply sensuous moment for Rosemary was when Remus washed her hair. She loved the feeling of his strong hands massaging her head, but even more she loved the feeling that someone was taking care of her.

"Ro?"

"Mmmmm" She was too absorbed in the feeling of his hands to respond with actual words.

"If you don't mind me asking, what was the ice for?"

Rosemary chuckled deeply. "You, fool of a man that you are, melted the best blow job of your entire life."

"Do you mean to tell me that what you just did to me _wasn't._" 

"That was standard. I've got more advanced moves in my repertoire but, unless you have the stamina of a seventeen year old, that will have to wait for another night." Rosemary stretched under the water. Her body felt stiff and sore but incredibly satisfied. 

"How do you feel?" He asked her.

"Wonderful, but very tired. It must be four in the morning."

"Then I suppose I should tuck you in for the night. Wait here for a moment. I'll be right back." He said as he left the shower. He returned shortly thereafter with two large, warm towels. He wrapped one around her body and used the other to dry her hair. "It's past your bedtime." He teased as he scooped her up in his arms and carried her back into the bedroom.

Rosemary was surprised at the ease with which he carried her. His lean muscular body was unnaturally strong. He surprised her yet again when he laid her in a bed which was magically cleaned up and warmed like the towels. Rosemary never felt more comfortable in her entire life.

"I want you to know that I really do love you." He said as he climbed into bed next to her and pulled her close.

"I know you do." She said as she smiled up at him.

"I hope someday you'll feel the same way about me."

"Who says I don't?" 

"Do you?" He asked hopefully.

"I honestly don't know what you would call how I feel for you." She said quietly. "I've been in love before, at least I thought I was, and it didn't feel like this."

"How do you feel?"

She paused for a long moment before answering. "You have to understand that for my entire life I've felt like I was neither here nor there. Like I didn't belong anywhere. I could see the entire magical world but I couldn't be part of it because I didn't have any magic of my own. Hell, I don't even make a proper squib. Muggles thought I was insane. No one else shared my reality. It was like a piece of me that would make everything make sense was missing."

"I can understand that. I know exactly what it's like to live a different life than everyone else and to be looking in from the outside." He answered sympathetically.

" Exactly. But that changed when I met you. When I saw you for the first time I felt….I don't know how to describe it….whole. I felt like somehow you would be able to make everything make sense."

"Wow." He was somewhat taken aback by her response. "Why did you feel that way?"

"That just it, I don't know! To tell you the truth the feeling was so sudden and so strong that I thought you were the first wizard who managed to hex me. That's why I was daring you to try to hex me at the table. When you couldn't I was right back to being confused by my feelings. I knew how I felt but I didn't trust it. Does that make any sense?"

"Yes, actually it makes a lot of sense." Remus stroked her face gently. "Do you trust it now?"

"More and more with every passing moment." She answered moving closer into his embrace. "Are you OK with this or do you think I'm a complete nutter?"

Remus lifted her chin and kissed her softly. "I'm very OK with this. I just wish you told me two hours ago." He said with a smile. "You really know how to torture a guy Ro……Ro?"

"You make me feel whole as well." he whispered softly to the woman sleeping peacefully against his chest.

**** **__**

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**__**

Special thanks to my wonderful beta Jiffy who once again has come up with some great suggestions!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


	9. Reality Bites

****

Chapter 9 - Reality Bites

"I wonder who that could be?" Rosemary gave Remus a confused look as she got up from the breakfast table to answer the door.

"Oh my god, Bill!" Remus heard Rosemary say from the foyer. "I'm so sorry I forgot!"

"I'm sure glad to see you!" Bill Weasley said as he followed Rosemary into the kitchen. "After what happen at the Leaky Cauldron yesterday I was fit to be hexed when you didn't show up at our meeting this morning. Mum's afraid that you and Remus are dead and Tonks is convinced that you're off shagging like jackrabbits."

"You know about the Leaky Cauldron?" Rosemary was amazed at the speed of wizard gossip.

"Everybody knows!" 

"Good morning Remus." Bill felt a little awkward as he came upon the shirtless werewolf eating his breakfast. He hadn't intended the jackrabbit comment for Lupin's ears.

"Bill." Remus returned the greeting politely but without enthusiasm. His territorial inner wolf wanted to know exactly why the other man was in the room. 

"Is Griphook upset?" Rosemary asked Bill as she offered him some coffee.

"No thank you." Bill declined the coffee. "And yes, the old goblin is in a right state about you standing him up this morning."

"Shite! How bad is it?"

"He'll still meet with you, but from now on all of the meetings have to be at Gringotts instead of your office -- It could have been worse." 

"I suppose. Can you meet me at the Leaky Cauldron at one and take me to his office?" Rosemary asked.

"Sure -- and you should contact your clerk. She's in a panic about you not showing up and not calling in. She's as bad as Mum." Bill advised as he got up to leave. "I'll clear things up with Mum and see you this afternoon."

"Thanks Bill." Rosemary said as she saw him out the door. She returned to the kitchen and was confronted by the steady gaze of a very suspicious werewolf.

"Yes?" She asked him slyly. She found his possessive reaction to be somewhat amusing.

"Does Bill Weasley spend a lot of time here?

"Maybe he does and maybe he doesn't" Rosemary said wickedly teasing him. "Is that a problem for you?"

"Well, umm…" Remus stumbled for an answer.

"Are you jealous of Bill?" Rosemary asked with a laugh.

"I'm _not _jealous." He answered defensively. "I'm just … aggressively monogamous."

"What the hell does _that_ mean?" she asked, still laughing.

"It means…" Remus wanted out of this conversation in a hurry. "Never mind. It's a werewolf thing." 

"No, Bill does not spend a lot of time here. Hardly any at all in fact." Rosemary sensed his embarrassment and snuggled into his lap. "I Someone /I distracted me and caused me to miss my meeting with Gringotts this morning. Bill was worried and came looking for me."

"Oh, I see." Remus said, beginning to regain his sense of humor. He rained kisses down her neck, resisting the strong urge to mark her. "And what kind of business would you have with a wizard's bank?"

"I have some wizard clients. I need to negotiate a better Galleons to Pounds exchange rate with those thieving goblins." She answered breathily as he nipped her ear.

"Clients? A clerk? That sounds a lot like a job. I thought you were an unemployed ne'er-do-well like me."

"Where did you get that idea?" Rosemary asked as she returned the favor and nipped at his ear.

"You said that no one would hire you when I met you yesterday."

"Oh, that's right, you didn't let me finish. No one would hire me so I started my own business ten years ago, a mid-sized venture capital firm. It's a smashing success if I do say so myself." She broke off her kisses, took his face in both hands and looked him right in the eye. "Remus darling, to quote Percy -- who's made something of a second career out of counting my assets-- I've got more money than Malfoy. Whoever the hell that is."

"Is that so?" He asked skeptically.

"That's so." She replied with authority.

She hopped off his lap to let in the owl that was furiously pecking on the kitchen window.

"There's mail here for you too." Rosemary said to Remus as she relieved the stately bird of its burden. "Keep yourself handy Boo. I may need you to carry replies." She said slipping the owl a piece of bacon.

Remus looked at the exchange and shook his head in disbelief. He was a fully trained wizard and he didn't have an owl, and here was this strange and wonderful Muggle collecting the post from her own owl as if it were an everyday Muggle occurrence. 

Rosemary sorted through the mail. "Harry for you. -- Harry for me." She said distributing the letters. "Hermione for you -- Ron for me -- It's nice to know that we're still the stuff of adolescent fantasies."

"Speak for yourself." Remus laughed.

"Ministry of Magic for you -- and two from the Ministry of Magic for the 'Unidentified female companion of Remus J. Lupin, Registered Werewolf #RJL062168SF'. I suppose that would be me." Rosemary said glibly. "Is that the same number that they put on your arm?" She asked casually.

"Umhmm." He said as he munched on a piece of bacon. The question didn't bother him, much to his surprise.

"The first three letters are your initials, the numbers appear to be a date, what are the last two letters?"

"The numbers are the date I was bit and the last letters are the initials of the werewolf that bit me." He looked up at her curiously. "How did you know the numbers were a date?"

"I've written them down often enough. You were bit the day I was born."

"That's a curious coincidence." He said, returning his attention to his breakfast. Remus found that fact interesting but not cause for concern.

"Are you sure it's a coincidence? First the instant attraction and now this. Don't you think it's a bit odd?" Rosemary was tapping her finger against her lips as she always did when she was trying to sort something out.

"Stop!" Remus said good naturedly as he grabbed her hand. "What possible connection could there be between a Muggle being born in London and a wizard getting bit in Wales? And besides--" He said kiddingly, flashing his best charming smile, "--how could you not be instantly attracted to me?"

Rosemary looked at him and broke out into gales of laughter. Any concern she had was instantly forgotten. 

"Since, we're cracking the Lupin code here, perhaps you wouldn't mind telling me what does the J stands for?"

"Never!." he said resolutely.

"Suit yourself." She broke into a hearty laugh as she scanned the next letter. "Albus Dumbledore for Remus _Joaquin? _Lupin."

"It's pronounced 'wa-KEEN'" Remus corrected her as he snatched the letter out of her hand and mumbled a string of expletives about the Headmaster.

"Oh, that is awful! I can't say that I blame you for wanting to keep that under wraps." She said as she wiped a tear of laughter from her cheek.

"I think it was a difficult birth and my mother named me that for revenge." Remus quipped good-naturedly. "What does the Ministry want with you?"

"The first letter is from the Office of Magical Law Enforcement. They want me to give a statement about the incident at the pub yesterday." Rosemary replied. "Oh, this is rich!" Rosemary said incredulously as she opened the second letter. "You've got to listen to this. It's a form letter from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures." Rosemary read the letter out loud.

__

To: _The Unidentified Companion of _**Remus J. Lupin**

__

It has been brought to this Department's attention that you have been seen in the company of one **Remus J. Lupin**, _and, according to our sources, the relationship between yourself --"_

Remus put up his hand to interrupt her. "Is this the letter where they tell you that werewolves are dangerous and possessive mates and then offer to cut off my bullocks if I won't leave you alone after you naturally send me packing after reading their letter? The one that comes with the stupid booklet on lycanthropy?" 

Rosemary shuffled through the parchments. "Yes indeed, that's exactly what it is. I take it you've seen this before?"

"Many times." He answered.

"Really? Exactly how many women have you publicly seduced?" Rosemary teased.

"They were all just practice for you, love." 

"That was pretty smooth." She laughed.

"Thanks. I thought so too." Remus smiled. "You have to answer the letter saying that you know I'm a dangerous and possessive werewolf or they'll detain me until they speak with you."

"You're kidding!" Rosemary wasn't joking around anymore.

"I wish I was."

Rosemary went to her desk and took out a sheet of her best stationary. She paused to think for a moment and then carefully crafted her response. She read over her letter and, after deciding it was satisfactory, handed it to Remus for his approval.

__

~~~@~~~@~~~ 

Mr. Walden McNair

Dept. for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures

Ministry of Magic, London

Dear Mr. McNair, 

Thank you for your letter of concern regarding my relationship with Mr. Remus. J. Lupin (registered werewolf #RJL062168SF) and for the informative booklet on lycanthropy. I found them both to be very entertaining.

Please be assured that Mr. Lupin informed me of his lycanthropy long before I made the decision to shag him senseless. At this time I must decline your offer to castrate Mr. Lupin as a measure to curb potential sexual aggression and possessiveness, for currently I am rather enjoying both. However, if the day should ever come when I feel castration is an appropriate course of action, please be advised that I will cheerfully perform the procedure myself. 

Thank you once again for your concern.

Sincerely,

Ms. Rosemary D. Oliver-O'Brien 

(aka Unidentified female companion of Remus J. Lupin)

~~~@~~~@~~~ 

Remus laughed long and hard after reading the letter. "You're a scary woman Ms. Rosemary D. Oliver- O'Brien. A very funny, very scary woman. What does the D stand for?"

"Diana."

"Damn. I was hoping it was something dreadful." He laughed.

"That letter was for your entertainment. I'll draft something a little less controversial for the Ministry."

Remus went to hand the letter back to Rosemary but reconsidered. He became serious and thoughtful as he debated with himself and then reached a decision.

"Bugger the Ministry. Send this one. If we're lucky Walden McNair --the old death eating son of a bitch-- will have a heart attack when he reads it." Remus said bitterly. "I'm so bloody sick and tired of the Ministry."

"What's wrong, love?" She was a bit taken aback by his sudden change in temperament.

Remus sat back and stared off for a moment before answering Rosemary. "Yesterday and last night were incredible."

"And that makes you angry?" 

"Well, yes. In a way it does." Remus could feel that he was having another one of those moments with Rosemary in which he shared much more than he intended. "Is that what life is like for other men everyday?"

"I don't know." Rosemary responded quietly. "I suppose it is for some."

"It's just that every time I find some happiness, there's the Ministry with some official policy that says 'No, not for you werewolf.'" He braced his forehead in his hands. "With the wolfsbane potion, I could deal with being a wolf for three days a month if I was allowed to feel like a man for the other twenty seven."

Rosemary felt his pain acutely and wondered how he bore it for so many years. She moved into his lap and held him close. "What do you need to feel like a man?"

"What does any man need? A home, worthwhile work, a partner…a family." He looked at her for a long moment. "You make me want things I can never have."

"What prevents you from having those things?"

"Are you listening to me? I can't have those things because I'm a werewolf." He replied more angrily than he intended.

"How does being a werewolf prevent you from having any of those things? You seem perfectly capable of achieving all of those goals." Rosemary asked quietly but with purpose.

"Because the Ministry--"

"Ah, the Ministry is what actually prevents you from having what you want." Rosemary interrupted.

"What bloody difference does it make?"

"Maybe a big difference." Rosemary said, tapping her finger against her lips. "Lycanthropy may be forever, but politicians come and go. You have the ability to get everything you want. What you need is a change in the political scenery."

"How are a werewolf and a Muggle, the lowest of the low in wizard society, going to accomplish that?" He scoffed. 

"I don't know." She answered honestly. "We both have a lot of resources to draw on. What we need is leverage."

"Oh, is that all?" Remus said sarcastically. "You're just going to add 'get leverage over the Ministry' to your to-do list for today?"

"Something like that." She winked. "I'll come up with something. It's a long ride to London and I do my best thinking in the car." She said it with such sincerity and confidence that for a moment Remus almost dared to believe that it might be achievable.

"You're too naïve to know that what you propose is impossible." He said quietly. 

"Perhaps.-- What are your plans for today?" She asked changing the subject.

"I need to go to Hogwarts to take care of something. I should be done by four. If your business is concluded we can meet at the Leaky Cauldron then."

"OK.-- You don't sound very enthusiastic about going to Hogwarts." Rosemary noted.

"I'm not really. My task will most likely require a significant amount of groveling and humiliation." He said with an ironic smirk.

"Is it worth it?" 

"If I'm successful, the payoff will be well worth the damage to my self-esteem." Remus smiled and kissed her on the cheek.

"Well, I'll leave you to it then." Rosemary said as she returned the kiss. "And for what it's worth, as long as I have a home, you have a home."

He felt her words wash over him.

__

'What the hell are you getting yourself into Moony?' He asked himself as he pulled Rosemary against his chest in a desperately tight embrace. Desire and hope were dangerous emotions for a werewolf to have. At the very least they would lead to disappointment and, if he dared to step out of the rigid boundaries set by the Ministry, they could lead to his death.

The last time he dared to live like a man was when he took the teaching position at Hogwarts. It was fantastic until he was found out. He tendered his resignation immediately rather than face the humiliation of being fired. The year of depression and despair that followed was torturous. If Dumbledore hadn't recalled the Order and given him a purpose in life he wondered if he would have had the strength to go on.

No one knew better than Lupin that a taste of honey really was much worse than none at all. Yet here he was, tasting the honey again, contemplating the possibility that he too might have the things that other men take for granted. It all came down to one question. Was he willing to risk everything he had, precious little as it was, for the chance to live like a man?

He inhaled the scent of her hair and smiled when he detected the faintest aroma of chocolate left from their frolic the night before. Yes. The answer could only be yes. He was willing to put everything on the line for a chance to be happy. 

__

May fortune favor the foolish.' He laughed as he made the decision to commit himself to do whatever it would take to make a new life possible. He wondered if today's task would be the hardest or the easiest. 

Today he was going to Hogwarts to ask Severus Snape for a favor.


	10. Mr Moony Presents His Compliments To Pro...

Chapter 10-Mr. Moony Presents his Compliments to Professor Snape and Begs him to _Please_ Stick His Abnormally Large Nose Into Other People's Business

Remus Apperated just outside the gates of Hogwarts and purposefully made his way across the grounds to the castle. It was a beautiful day and the lawn was filled with students on mid-day break. He was greeted by many of the older students who remembered him fondly as the best, indeed the only decent DADA professor they ever had. The student's fondness and respect for him was uplifting but it also served as a bittersweet reminder that he may never again have the opportunity to do the job which he loved and did so well. As he made his way down to the dungeons he shook off his discontent and reminded himself of why he came to the school in the first place. 

Remus stood in the doorway of the potions classroom and watched Severus Snape pour over a stack of aged parchments. He silently said a prayer to the gods that he would be able to persuade the cheerless Potions Master to help him with his problem.

"What do you want?" Snape said without bothering to look up from the parchments he was reading.

"I need a favor Severus."

"Indeed?" Snape fixed his eyes on Remus. He could not imagine what need the werewolf could possibly have that was so vital that he would put himself in his debt. "I don't have all day, Lupin." He said impatiently.

Remus took a deep breath. "I met a woman, she's a Muggle, and I need a potion --"

"I won't make that potion." Snape interrupted and returned his attention to his parchments. As far as he was concerned their conversation was over.

"But you don't even know what I need yet!" Remus thought that Snape would at least hear him out before he turned him down.

"I won't terminate pregnancies." The Potions Master said with finality.

"Why?" Remus wasn't even sure why he asked the question since that was the last thing he wanted.

"That is my own business. You can purchase that potion in any number of shops on Knockturn Alley.-- I'm sure you can find someone to lend you the funds." He added with a sneer.

"That's not what I need. I'm looking for a potion to iprevent/i pregnancy." Remus explained.

"Why are you wasting my time?" Snape spat out each word. He had no idea what Remus was playing at and was losing his patience with the intrusion.

"I'm serious Severus. I need a contraception potion that doesn't rely on magic."

"Just use a contraception charm you nit wit." Snape snarled, seriously wondering if the werewolf was in full possession of his faculties. "I'm assuming you know how to cast one given that my classes aren't littered with your spawn."

"Don't you think I thought of that?" Remus asked impatiently. "Charms and hexes don't work on this woman. A potion that doesn't use magic is our only option."

"Have you considered getting neutered like the dog that you are?" The potions master drawled A Muggle that could not be hexed --ridiculous. The werewolf was either crazy or playing games with him Snape thought. Either way the conversation was over. "Good day, Lupin." He said dismissing him.

"Severus." Dumbledore greeted the Potions Master as he entered his classroom. "Ah, Remus my boy." He said turning to Lupin. "Good to see you. What brings you to Hogwarts on this beautiful day?"

"I came to ask Severus for a favor. I was just leaving." Remus glowered at Snape who responded with his own equally intimidating scowl.

Dumbledore ignored the hostilities and spoke to Remus. "I understand you have made the acquaintance of Rosemary O'Brien. Amazing woman, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes, I would." Remus answered sensing that he now had an ally in his quest. "I wasn't aware that you knew each other."

"I know _of_ her my boy." Dumbledore answered. "I hope to meet her tonight at the meeting of the Order."

"I want you to meet her too, Severus." Dumbledore continued. "I understand that she has the ability to block any and all magic."

"That's not entirely accurate Albus." Remus corrected the Headmaster. "She doesn't exactly block magic. Magic just doesn't affect her. It's not something that she does; it's something that just happens. She has no control over it, otherwise I wouldn't be here."

"Utterly ridiculous." Snape could not believe that two seemingly intelligent wizards, correction, make that one seemingly intelligent wizard and one hormone driven dim wit, would put any stock in such nonsense.

"What is it that you require of Severus?" Albus inquired ignoring Snape's disbelief.

Remus gave an exasperated sigh. "What the hell, why shouldn't the whole world know? I was asking Severus if he could brew a contraceptive potion that doesn't rely on magic."

"A very sensible precaution to take." Albus said with his trademark twinkle in his eye. "I'm sure our esteemed Potions Master is more than up to the task." Albus looked intently at Severus over the top of his half-moon glasses.

"Fine." The Potions Master huffed and retreated into his personal stores returning with a box the size of a deck of cards. He opened it to reveal three small vials.

"You keep a potion like this in stock?" Remus was surprised. Snape's only answer was a scowl.

"Have you had intercourse with this woman?" Snape asked indelicately.

"Does it matter?"

"I have no interest in your carnal affairs. I wouldn't ask if it didn't." If Snape had to accommodate the werewolf he was going to make damn sure that he made him squirm in the process. "This potion is difficult to brew and will be wasted if she's already pregnant."

"Then, if you must know, yes. I have." Remus answered. "We used a Muggle contraceptive so I doubt she conceived."

The potions master snorted at Lupin's confidence in Muggle technology.

"Pay attention Lupin because I'm only going to explain this once." He snapped. "Take a drop of her blood and put it in the vial with the yellow stopper. The liquid will turn blue only if she isn't pregnant. Pour the blue liquid into the vial with the red stopper and have her drink it immediately. She will be infertile until she drinks the contents of the vial with the green stopper."

"Thank you Severus." Remus said earnestly as he reached for the box.

"Wait." Snape said, retaining the box. "I think I'll hold on to the green vial."

"Why?!" Remus said looking to Dumbledore for support. He did not trust Snape's motives for a second.

"Because it's the logical thing to do, you simpleton." Snape said calmly. "If the two of you remain together she will have no need for the reversing potion. If she comes to her senses and leaves, you are the last person who should literally hold her future fertility in his hands. She can come to me when she needs it." Severus placed a slight emphasis on the word 'when' to antagonize Remus.

Dumbledore waived Remus' concerns off and gestured for him to accept the box.

"Suit yourself." Remus said as he took the box with the two remaining vials.

"Will we be meeting Ms. O'Brien tonight Remus?" Albus asked, though it was more of a command than a question.

"I can't speak for her, but I think she'll agree to come."

"Excellent!" Albus said rubbing his hands together. "You should be getting along now Remus. I'm sure you and Ms. O'Brien have much to _discuss_ before the meeting." There was that damned twinkle again.

Snape rolled his eyes and wondered out loud if the whole world had gone mad.

Remus carefully pocketed his treasure and took the steps up to the Great Hall two at a time in his haste to share his news with Rosemary.

"Professor Lupin!" Hermione and Ron called to him as he entered the hall. Remus smiled and waved but kept moving. 

Hermione and Ron looked at each other and shrugged as they watched him break into a run across the lawn towards the gates. 

~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~

Remus was thrilled with the success of his trip to Hogwarts and decided not to wait until four o'clock to share the good news with Rosemary. He Apperated straight to Diagon Alley and walked into Gringotts. Bill Weasley would know where to find her. He asked for Bill at the desk and waited for him to come down.

"Hey Remus!" Bill said as he strode across the bank to meet his guest. "What can I do for you?" 

"I'm looking for Rosemary." Remus replied in a much better humor than the last time he saw Bill. "I thought you might know where she is and when she'll be done."

"At the moment, your lady is causing quite a stir in the Currency Exchange Department. Come with me, I'll take you to her."

"Is she in any kind of trouble?" Remus asked with concern as he followed Bill.

Bill cast a disbelieving glance at Remus. "You don't know her very well yet, do you? I'm more concerned about the goblins. You wouldn't believe the stunt she just pulled." 

"What happened?"

"It's complicated, but I'll try to give you the short version." Bill invited Remus to sit in a chair in front of his desk. "Has Rosemary told you about her finances?"

"She told me that she owns her own company and that she has a lot of money. She told me that she has a few wizards for clients. Why?"

"OK. Rosemary makes A LOT of money off her wizard clients and even more off her Muggle ones.-- She owns fifteen percent of Fred and George's business.-- Anyway, since she lives in the Muggle world, her business with Gringotts has mostly consisted of converting Galleons into Pounds --that's what Muggles call their money--and transferring the funds to Muggle accounts."

"Is that a problem?" Remus was barely following what Bill was telling him.

"No, at least not until today. It was time to renegotiate the contract for the exchange rate and the goblins were hoping to get a more lucrative deal for themselves. Anyway, this afternoon they were all celebrating because they got Rosemary to accept a really ridiculous rate of four Galleons to a Pound. The usual rate is about six Pounds to a Galleon. I told them that something was wrong and that she was not that stupid. But they just kept pointing out that she signed a magically binding contract and that there was no way out of it. The goblins were _actually_ celebrating." Bill shook his head in disbelief.

"And they're not celebrating anymore?" Remus asked.

"Hell no!" Bill said with a mix of apprehension and admiration. He leaned across his desk and spoke to Remus in hushed tones. "Rosemary converted three and a half million Pounds into Galleons this afternoon. Under the old contract that would be a little under six hundred thousand Galleons; but with the new contract the goblins had to fork over _fourteen million _Galleons. It took three vaults to hold it all. It never, EVER occurred to them that she would change up and transfer her Muggle funds into her Wizard account. -- Griphook is beside himself. He knows she has a lot more Muggle money and he's afraid she'll convert that into Galleons too. -- Gods, this is the mother of all fuck ups. I tried to warn them.

Remus stared at Bill for a good ten seconds before saying anything. "Fourteen…_million_?…Galleons?"

"Fourteen million Galleons." Bill confirmed. "You had no idea. Did you?"

"Fuck no!"

"In any event, Rosemary is on the other side of that door." Bill gestured towards a large double door behind him. "The goblins are trying to get her to agree to renegotiating the contract."

"Why should she? If the positions were reversed I doubt they would agree to renegotiate."

"That was my thought as well." Bill agreed with Remus. "But she's negotiating with them just the same. She's usually about eight steps ahead of me so I'm sure she has this all figured out."

At that moment the large doors swung open and Rosemary and Griphook emerged, both smiling

"Weasley!" The goblin snapped his fingers and summoned his employee. "Escort Ms. O'Brien back to her offices."

Rosemary smiled broadly when she saw Remus. "That's quite alright Griphook. I have an escort." She said as she took her lover's hand..

"It is a pleasure doing business with you Ms. O'Brien." The goblin said cordially. 

"Likewise, Griphook. I'll contact you about the non-tangible provisions of our new contract later this month. And thank you for the fire whiskey." She said showing Remus what she assumed was a very good bottle.

Griphook and Bill watched the couple leave the offices.

"Who was that wizard Weasley?" The goblin asked.

"His name is Remus Lupin." Bill answered. 

"How well do you know this Lupin and Ms. O'Brien?"

"I know them both very well."

"Good. That will be useful." The goblin's wheels were turning. "Ms. O'Brien just relinquished ten million Galleons in exchange for our assistance in influencing yet unnamed Ministry policies. Why would a Muggle care about Ministry policies? Find out what is worth that much to her."

Bill already knew. It had to be the Werewolf Code of Conduct Regulations -- not that he would ever share that information with Griphook. Bill took a moment to analyze the situation and came to the conclusion that today's dealings were never about money. Sign here, shuffle paper there and at the end of the day Rosemary had perhaps secured Remus Lupin a chance at a somewhat normal life and still managed to turn a three million Galleon profit. She played Griphook like a harp and the goblin thanked her for it.

The woman was a genius. 

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

"What just happened in there?" Remus asked Rosemary as they left Gringotts.

"Exactly what was supposed to happen." Rosemary answered enigmatically. "How did you fare at Hogwarts?"

"It went well. I have a gift for you -- _for_ _us_." He said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Can I open it now?" Rosemary asked playfully.

"No. This is the kind of gift that should be opened in private." He said as he gave her hand a squeeze. "Besides, I'm not going to give it to you until you tell me what the hell just happened! Bill just told me the most outrageous story."

"What? That I took the goblins for fourteen million Galleons?" She asked casually.

"You mean it's true?" 

"It was. I gave ten million back." 

"Why?" Remus felt as if he had stepped into some sort of alternate reality. Nothing seemed to be happening as it should.

"A lot of reasons. We don't need more Galleons, we need other resources. Specifically we need access to information and friends in high places who owe us a favor. Are you following me?"

"No, not at all." He answered. "Why are you saying _we _don't need Galleons? Your money is just that, _your_ money. I have a sinking feeling that you just gave away a great deal of it in a misguided attempt to help me. Please tell me you didn't."

"I didn't, not really." Rosemary sighed deeply and thought about how she was going to explain her actions to Remus. She was sure that he was going to make it difficult. "Sit down here and listen to me carefully." She said as she directed him to a bench and took his hands in hers. "First, and don't argue with me about this, what I have is yours too. _We _don't need more Galleons. Believe me, we have plenty. -- Second, I didn't go into today's meeting to get money. I went into it to get leverage, like we discussed this morning. I walked out with leverage, three million Galleons, and this fine old bottle of wizard whiskey. All things considered, I'd say things went rather well."

"Wow." Remus said quietly. "When you say you're going to do something, you really do it. Do you think we really might…will…get what we want?"

"We can do anything." Rosemary said with absolute confidence.

"I don't know what to say." He was working hard to process the possibilities before him.

"Well, you could say 'Good job Ro. Here's your present.'"

Remus laughed and kissed her cheek. "Come on." He said, pulling her up from the bench. "I live in a house not far from here. You can open your present there."


	11. So buttercup, what happened to the rest ...

Authors Note: I can not in good conscience post the rest of this story on FF.net because it is a bit too randy for an R rating. I considered rewriting it without the intimate scenes, but it took too much away from the story. That said, I have not abandoned you! If you have been enjoying this story you will be happy to know that it is complete, and is posted on AFF. net. I can't seem to post a link on this forum but, **_if you are old enough to read it_**, the story title is **Outcasts** and the author name is **buttercup**. You can use AFF's search engine and find it.

The story has over 20,000 hits and 511 reviews on that archive, so I think you may find it an entertaining read. Sorry for the inconvenience, and thanks for reading and dropping a review in the bucket.

buttercup


End file.
